One of the
main highlights of Sony’s latest Xperia Z3 flagship smartphone is the
PlayStation 4 Remote Play functionality. The feature initially debuted with the
Xperia Z3 family of devices – Xperia Z3, Xperia Z3 Compact, and Xperia Z3
Tablet Compact, but was also released for the Xperia Z2 and Xperia Z2 Tablet
devices as part of a software update recently. Sony initially claimed that the
feature will not be able to be ported to other devices as it has included some
specific hardware tweaks on the Xperia Z3 family of devices to minimize the
input lag on supported devices. However, due to the open nature of the Android
platform, it was only a matter of time before an Android developer ported the
feature to other devices. That has actually happened finally as XDA developer
TheScriptKitty has managed to port the Sony
PlayStation 4 Remote Play feature to all Android devices running Android 2.2 or
later versions.
The port
seems to be quite successful as all the features are currently working except
for DualShock 4 controller. However, you can still get the DualShock 4
controller to work with the feature by following two workaround methods that
have been detailed by the developer. Surprisingly, the port doesn’t require
root access either, so those of you with a completely stock Android smartphone
can also try the feature on your device, provided you have a Sony PlayStation 4
at home. The developer has also disabled the root access check and connection
speed checks for the app, so you should be able to get the app working even f
you have a connection that is slower than what Sony recommends for an optimum
experience when using the feature.
A large
number of devices are supported currently and many more are expected to be
added to the list in the near future. Almost all the Google Nexus devices
including the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 2012, Nexus 7 2013, Nexus 9, and Nexus
10 are supported. A number of Samsung Galaxy devices like the Samsung Galaxy
Note 10.1, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Mega 6.3, S2, S3, S4, S5, Tab Pro 8.4, Tab
Pro 12.2, Tab S 8.4 LTE, Tab S 10.5, Tab 10.1, Tab 2 7.0, Tab 2 10.1, Tab 3
7.0, and Tab 3 10.1 are included as well. LG smartphones that are compatible
with the port are the latest G3, G2, GPad 8.3, Optimus F6 and the G Flex. The
only Motorola device that seems to be compatible with the port is the Moto X
2013. Other supported devices are the HTC One M8, One M7, Nvidia Tegra Note 7,
OnePlus One, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Note 2, Note 3, Note 4, Mega 6.4, S2,
S3, S4, S5, Tab Pro 8.4, Tab Pro 12.2, ZTE Nubia Z7 Mini and other recent Sony
Xperia smartphones such as the Xperia Z, Xperia M, Xperia Tablet Z, Xperia Z1
Compact, and the Xperia Z Ultra.
To install
the Remote Play Feature on your Android smartphone or tablet, download and
install the Remote Play port APK file and install it on your device. For most
devices this should get the feature up and running. If somehow it doesn’t, then
you will need to download the DualShock Manager apk file and move it into
/system/app/ directory and change permissions to RW-R-R and reboot your device.
