diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/core/core_tools.py b/src/spikeinterface/core/core_tools.py
index aad7613d01..b38222391c 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/core/core_tools.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/core/core_tools.py
@@ -684,3 +684,20 @@ def measure_memory_allocation(measure_in_process: bool = True) -> float:
         memory = mem_info.total - mem_info.available
 
     return memory
+
+
+def is_path_remote(path: str | Path) -> bool:
+    """
+    Returns True if the path is a remote path (e.g., s3:// or gcs://).
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    path : str or Path
+        The path to check.
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    bool
+        Whether the path is a remote path.
+    """
+    return "s3://" in str(path) or "gcs://" in str(path)
diff --git a/src/spikeinterface/core/sortinganalyzer.py b/src/spikeinterface/core/sortinganalyzer.py
index ac142405ab..45f1f881b4 100644
--- a/src/spikeinterface/core/sortinganalyzer.py
+++ b/src/spikeinterface/core/sortinganalyzer.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 from .base import load_extractor
 from .recording_tools import check_probe_do_not_overlap, get_rec_attributes, do_recording_attributes_match
-from .core_tools import check_json, retrieve_importing_provenance
+from .core_tools import check_json, retrieve_importing_provenance, is_path_remote
 from .sorting_tools import generate_unit_ids_for_merge_group, _get_ids_after_merging
 from .job_tools import split_job_kwargs
 from .numpyextractors import NumpySorting
@@ -195,6 +195,7 @@ def __init__(
         format=None,
         sparsity=None,
         return_scaled=True,
+        storage_options=None,
     ):
         # very fast init because checks are done in load and create
         self.sorting = sorting
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ def __init__(
         self.format = format
         self.sparsity = sparsity
         self.return_scaled = return_scaled
+        self.storage_options = storage_options
         # this is used to store temporary recording
         self._temporary_recording = None
 
@@ -276,17 +278,15 @@ def create(
         return sorting_analyzer
 
     @classmethod
-    def load(cls, folder, recording=None, load_extensions=True, format="auto"):
+    def load(cls, folder, recording=None, load_extensions=True, format="auto", storage_options=None):
         """
         Load folder or zarr.
         The recording can be given if the recording location has changed.
         Otherwise the recording is loaded when possible.
         """
-        folder = Path(folder)
-        assert folder.is_dir(), "Waveform folder does not exists"
         if format == "auto":
             # make better assumption and check for auto guess format
-            if folder.suffix == ".zarr":
+            if Path(folder).suffix == ".zarr":
                 format = "zarr"
             else:
                 format = "binary_folder"
@@ -294,12 +294,18 @@ def load(cls, folder, recording=None, load_extensions=True, format="auto"):
         if format == "binary_folder":
             sorting_analyzer = SortingAnalyzer.load_from_binary_folder(folder, recording=recording)
         elif format == "zarr":
-            sorting_analyzer = SortingAnalyzer.load_from_zarr(folder, recording=recording)
+            sorting_analyzer = SortingAnalyzer.load_from_zarr(
+                folder, recording=recording, storage_options=storage_options
+            )
 
-        sorting_analyzer.folder = folder
+        if is_path_remote(str(folder)):
+            sorting_analyzer.folder = folder
+            # in this case we only load extensions when needed
+        else:
+            sorting_analyzer.folder = Path(folder)
 
-        if load_extensions:
-            sorting_analyzer.load_all_saved_extension()
+            if load_extensions:
+                sorting_analyzer.load_all_saved_extension()
 
         return sorting_analyzer
 
@@ -470,7 +476,9 @@ def load_from_binary_folder(cls, folder, recording=None):
     def _get_zarr_root(self, mode="r+"):
         import zarr
 
-        zarr_root = zarr.open(self.folder, mode=mode)
+        if is_path_remote(str(self.folder)):
+            mode = "r"
+        zarr_root = zarr.open(self.folder, mode=mode, storage_options=self.storage_options)
         return zarr_root
 
     @classmethod
@@ -552,25 +560,22 @@ def create_zarr(cls, folder, sorting, recording, sparsity, return_scaled, rec_at
         recording_info = zarr_root.create_group("extensions")
 
     @classmethod
-    def load_from_zarr(cls, folder, recording=None):
+    def load_from_zarr(cls, folder, recording=None, storage_options=None):
         import zarr
 
-        folder = Path(folder)
-        assert folder.is_dir(), f"This folder does not exist {folder}"
-
-        zarr_root = zarr.open(folder, mode="r")
+        zarr_root = zarr.open(str(folder), mode="r", storage_options=storage_options)
 
         # load internal sorting in memory
-        # TODO propagate storage_options
         sorting = NumpySorting.from_sorting(
-            ZarrSortingExtractor(folder, zarr_group="sorting"), with_metadata=True, copy_spike_vector=True
+            ZarrSortingExtractor(folder, zarr_group="sorting", storage_options=storage_options),
+            with_metadata=True,
+            copy_spike_vector=True,
         )
 
         # load recording if possible
         if recording is None:
             rec_dict = zarr_root["recording"][0]
             try:
-
                 recording = load_extractor(rec_dict, base_folder=folder)
             except:
                 recording = None