How to Stream Gameplay from a PS4

Aaron Donald April 13, 2023

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Discord
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You don’t need fancy hardware to stream PlayStation 4 gameplay to loyal viewers. Sony’s PS4 allows you to stream to a PC, and you can do this even without a capture card. While capture cards allow for better quality, they can be expensive. Remote Play is also an option, but it also has its issues.

Whether you’re an aspiring streamer or a Twitch veteran, you should be familiar with a few methods for streaming PS4 gameplay. You can always switch from one to another when your preferred method fails and ensure that your viewers always have something to watch.

How to Stream PS4 Gameplay to Twitch

The primary platform gamers stream to is Twitch, and it’s no surprise that many streamers have developed many ways to do it. However, you don’t need an elaborate setup to stream to this popular platform. There’s a way to stream to Twitch without capture cards or extra HDMI cables. Before you start, you’ll need the following:

PS4
PC
DUALSHOCK 4 controller
PS4 Remote Play
OBS or similar video capture software

Once you have the right resources, it’s time to set everything up. Don’t worry; the process doesn’t take very long. Here’s what you need to do.

Download and install PS4 Remote Play and OBS Studio on your Windows PC. Don’t forget to install them in this step.
Once the above two apps are installed, connect your DUALSHOCK 4 controller to your PC using a USB A-to-C cable.
Launch “Remote Play” on your PC and log into your PSN account.
Accept Sony’s data collection policies.
Choose “PS4” from the choices on the screen.
You must wait for the PS4 to sync with your PC through the internet. Ensure you open your PS4 profile, or the PC won’t connect to the console.
When both devices have synced, you’ll notice your PS4’s home screen on the Remote Play app.
Launch “OBS Studio” on your PC.
In the “Sources” box at the bottom, click on the “+” icon to add your source.
Select “Window Capture” from the menu.
Name the source to capture with something such as “PS4 Remote Play.”
Select the correct window to stream.
If you don’t like the size or it doesn’t fit the OBS canvas correctly, right-click over the capture screen, choose “Transform,” then select “Fit to screen.”
Now, the PS4 screen fits the entire canvas so you can stream your games to Twitch.

It’s fairly easy to use Remote Play and OBS Studio to stream your content. It’s not the best option around, but it’s still effective. There are several settings you can tweak to get the best performance and results.

Also, you’ll get a better experience playing and streaming the games with a strong internet connection or two Ethernet cables.

How to Stream PS4 Gameplay with an Elgato Capture Card

If you have an Elgato capture card, you can connect it to your PC for higher-quality streaming. Elgato’s capture cards are the industry’s standard, and many successful streamers use them to stream their games or capture gameplay for videos.

The PS4 has an HDMI out port, making it possible for anyone with a capture card to stream their gameplay.

To stream with an Elgato capture card, you’ll need:

Elgato capture card
PC
HDMI cables
PS4
OBS or similar software

Note: Before getting started, you’ll need to download and install Elgato Game Capture HD.

When you have everything on hand, follow the steps below to start streaming your PS4 gameplay.

Turn on your PS4 and go to “Settings > System” and turn off “Enable HDCP.”
Connect your PS4 to the HDMI In capture card port.
Connect the Elgato capture card to the TV or monitor through the HDMI Out port.
Use a USB cable to connect the Elgato capture card to your PC.
Launch “OBS Studio” on your PC.
Set the “source” for the PS4 gameplay.
Once it appears in OBS’s encoder, you can start streaming the games to Twitch or any other streaming platform you wish.

The above steps should also work with other capture cards, although they may not require you to download and install any accompanying software. It depends on the card.

As long as a capture card connects the PS4 screen and your PC, streaming PS4 gameplay is possible. High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) can prevent you from recording protected content, like movies and shows from Netflix and Hulu. Consequently, you may not stream some sections because HDCP becomes enabled with this method.

Also, the Elgato capture card works best if your PC exceeds its minimum specifications, which is why a powerful gaming PC should be your first choice for streaming. A gaming laptop is another option; it lets you bring your setup wherever you go.

Your gaming PC or gaming laptop should have the best hardware possible. Weaker and slower hardware can affect the performance and cause stuttering and lag.

How to Stream PS4 Gameplay to PC using Discord

If you’re a frequent Discord user, particularly for playing video games, you may have encountered users streaming themselves playing in a voice chat channel. Discord introduced the feature to create a more enhanced, interactive environment.

Streaming anything to Discord is easy as long as you have the necessary equipment. There are a few different ways you can stream to Discord. Let’s take a look at one of them.

How to Use Twitch to Stream Your PS4 Game on Discord

The first method to stream your game in Discord is the most complicated, but you can also use it to stream to Twitch immediately. While Discord is on the PS4, you can’t use that version to stream directly. The workaround below performs well for streaming because those who join the voice chat can also talk to you while you play games.

Here’s what you’ll need:

PS4
PC
Discord account
Twitch account

Check out how to get started with this method:

Go to the PS4 Settings and select “Sharing and Broadcasts.”
Select “Link with Other Services.”
Choose “Twitch” from the list to pair your Twitch account with your PS4.
Start the game you want to play.
Press the “Share” button on your PS4 controller on the left side.
When a menu appears, scroll down and select “Broadcast Gameplay.”
Choose “Twitch” as the streaming platform.
At this stage, you can fiddle with some settings before starting the broadcast, then select “Start Broadcasting” to begin the stream.
Go to your PC and log into Twitch.
Select “Channel” from your Twitch menu.
Go to your PS4’s live stream.
Go to Discord and head to the server you want to stream to on Discord.
Select your broadcasting voice channel.
Once you connect to the voice channel, select “Screen.”
From the pop-up window, choose your Twitch stream as the one for streaming.
Check the settings and choose “Go Live” to start streaming to Discord.

This method works well if you want to have your Twitch stream live in addition to Discord. However, if you’re going to only stream to Discord via recorded gameplay, there’s another way to stream without a capture card.

How to Use PlayStation 4 Remote Play to Stream Your PS4 Game on Discord

The following method takes advantage of PS4 Remote Play. As such, many of the steps apply to streaming to Discord too. The main advantage of this method is that you don’t need to have a Twitch account to stream to Discord.

For this method, you’ll need PS4 Remote Play. If you don’t already have PS4 Remote Play, you may want to download and install it before setting up your PS4. The process is more streamlined, and you save some time. Here’s how to do it.

Download and install PS4 Remote Play on your Windows PC.
Use a USB cable to connect a DUALSHOCK 4 controller to your PC.
Log into your PSN account on the Remote Play app.
Agree to Sony’s policies on data collection and more.
Turn on your “PS4” and log into your profile if you haven’t already, then wait for it to sync with Remote Play.
When both the PS4 and PC become synced, Remote Play displays your PS4’s home screen.
Launch Discord on your PC.
Select a server to use for your stream.
Join a voice chat channel.
Select “Screen” to share your screen.
Select “PS Remote Play” to be the shared window. Before going live, ensure you’re streaming at the exact resolution as PS4 Remote Play.

Now, anyone who joins the Discord voice channel can watch your gameplay.

The above method is easier on your internet since you’re only streaming on one platform, and it’s also an excellent option if you don’t have a strong internet connection but still want to stream.

How to Use a Capture Card to Stream PS Gameplay on Discord

Using a capture card to stream to friends on Discord can help reduce the load on your internet even more. With the help of OBS Studio and a capture card, you can stream your games to Discord instead of Twitch. The video quality is much higher, and your friends will appreciate it. You won’t lag as much since your internet bandwidth only gets used for streaming.

Here’s how to stream video on Discord using a capture card:

Turn on your PS4 and log in.
Go to the “Settings > System” and turn off “Enable HDCP.”
Download and install Elgato Game Capture HD if using an Elgato capture card.
Connect the PS4 to the capture card via the HDMI In port with an HDMI cable.
Connect the monitor or TV to your capture card with another HDMI cable going into the HDMI Out port.
Using a USB cable, connect the capture card to your PC.
Launch OBS Studio on your PC, set the “source” to the PS4 gameplay, and ensure the source appears on OBS’s encoder.
Launch “Discord”, go to the server, join a voice channel and select “Screen” to open a window.
Select “OBS Studio” as the window to share. Ensure the settings are correct before going live.

Now, anyone who joins the voice channel can watch you play.

In closing, the PS4 makes streaming games on Twitch, YouTube, or even Discord relatively simple. You don’t even need a capture card, thanks to PS4 Remote Play. Nowadays, you can share your live gameplay with anyone in the world with the proper setup.

PS4 Gameplay Streaming FAQs

Can I stream a PS4 to a PC with an HDMI cord?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to stream from a PS4 to a PC using an HDMI cable. Many modern laptops have an HDMI port, but this port is an HDMI Out port. It doesn’t accept HDMI inputs at all.

This scenario means that even if you connect your PS4 to your laptop with an HDMI cord, you won’t be able to broadcast your games. If you want to stream to your PC, you’re better off using PS4 Remote Play or a capture card.