How To Use A Laptop As A PS4 Screen With HDMI

Technology has evolved much more in the last few years than in the previous two decades. With such evolution, it has become easy for each person to use it. Computer and laptop technology has also shown significant progress. Nowadays, you can also use your laptop screen as a monitor using different ways. As we all know, PS4 doesn’t come with a display. We have to use an external monitor for display. In standard cases, you can use your computer screen or TV for display purposes.

But How To Use A Laptop As A PS4 Screen With HDMI? The answer is simple: use an HDMI video capture device and an HDMI cable. So in this article, we will describe How To Use A Laptop As A PS4 Screen With HDMI with a video capture device. So keep on reading.

HDMI video capture device

An HDMI video capture device is an external hardware that allows you to capture the screen of one device onto another display device. It can be a Tv or a laptop, or a Playstation. It is used for multiple purposes, including screen sharing for streaming purposes or recording your streaming.

It has an HDMI plug-in socket at the back and a USB end plugged into the laptop.

How to connect the video capture device to the laptop to use the laptop screen as a monitor

• First, ensure your primary laptop, whose screen you will use, is turned on and your PlayStation is also turned on.
• Now plug one end of the HDMI cable into the PlayStation, whose display you’re streaming onto your laptop screen.
• Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into the video capture device. Plug the device into the USB socket of the laptop.
• Wait until the device is configured. 

How to have a display on a laptop using the default camera by the connection of HDMI cable through a video capture device

Once the cable connection is made, follow the steps to have a display:

• Open the windows camera from the window apps.
• After the camera is opened, it will show your webcam image.
• Switch the camera. After the camera is switched, it will show the display of your PlayStation, on which the video capture device acts as a screen camera for recording your display.

(Note: It’s better to hide the laptop’s taskbar whose screen you will use as a monitor because you may get less display ratio. It also has a limited fps display, so in some cases, the shared screen display might lag or blur.)

How to have a display of PS4 on a laptop using the default camera by the connection of HDMI cable through a video capture device

Suppose you have already installed the VLC media player on your laptop. Using a USB video capture device, you can use the VLC media player to share your PS4 display.

• Make sure to connect your laptop and PlayStation using the HDMI capture device.
• After that, run the VLC media player on your LAPTOP.
• In the top left corner, click the media button, scroll down to open the capture device, and click it.
• After the capture device menu is opened, ensure that you have selected direct show from capture mode. If there is any other, by default, change it to direct the show.
• Now, over to the video device section. Select the USB device from there.
• Further down, there is the Audio device section. Also, change the audio device to digital audio interference USB.
• After changing all the settings, now click the play button. Your PlayStation screen is now shared on your laptop screen.

Screen Ratio Problems While Using Video Capture device In VLC Media Player

Screen ratio problems arise when you use VLC media player for screen sharing using a video capture device. But this problem is solved by changing the screen ratio from the capture device menu. Follow these steps to change the screen ratio:

• Open the capture device menu as described above.
• In the bottom right, you will see the advance option. Click on it.
• At the top, you will see the picture aspect ratio. Select the balance according to your screen; you will get a perfect screen aspect now.

How to use a laptop screen as a monitor by using OBS HDMI video capture device software

If you want to record your PlayStation screen and don’t want to go with the traditional view of low fps and blurry images. The solution is to use OBS software for the video capture device. This software allows you to share your stream or record the screen in 4k without any issues. To use the OBS studio, follow the steps after you have made the connection using HDMI cable and video capture device:

• First, install the OBS studio on the laptop whose screen you want to use as a monitor.
• Tap the + sign at the bottom of the source tab.
• Add a new device.
• Select your video capture card and name it.
• Now select the capture card from the properties window.
• After selecting, the screen will be shared from PlayStation to your laptop screen.
• If you want to record your PlayStation screen, you tap the record screen button in the bottom right. After a few seconds, your recording will start.

Can we directly connect a PlayStation to a laptop using an HDMI cable?

Connecting a PlayStation to a laptop using an HDMI cable directly for monitor display purposes is impossible. It is because HDMI ports on laptops work as output ports only, meaning they will only transfer signals. Suppose you want to use a PlayStation display over another. In that case, you can use external video-capturing devices such as HDMI to USB video capture devices.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you with your query. If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments.

FAQS

Q: Can I record the screen using a video capture device?

A: You can use a video capture device to record your screen.

Q: Can you plug an HDMI cable into a laptop and use it as a monitor?

A: No, using a laptop as a monitor is impossible by plugging the HDMI cable directly. Because the HDMI ports on laptops only work as output ports and can’t process incoming signals.

Q: Can I use my LCD and laptop screen to display my screen together?

A: Yes, you can do this by using a combination of HDMI splitter and HDMI capture device.

Q: Can I view my laptop screen on other devices using the HDMI switch?

A: No HDMI switch combines signals from multiple HDMI inputs and gives a single output signal. You can view your laptop screen using an HDMI splitter that divides the same signal from one input to multiple outputs. By which numerous HDMI-supported devices can be connected to have the same display.