This short guide will show you how to use your laptop as a monitor for PS4! Playing games on your PlayStation 4 is unrivaled. However, if you don’t have access to a TV or an external screen but have your laptop, you can still watch movies.
So, how do you play PS4 on a laptop? We’ll teach you how to do it both with and without an HDMI connection in this complete tutorial.
And, best of all, we have an extra tip for you after this article that you probably didn’t know about.
So, let’s get started.
What Is the Best Way to Use Your Laptop as a PS4 Monitor?
This will be a scenario of good news and terrible news.
First, the bad news is that if you wish to use an HDMI cable to connect your laptop to your TV. Both your computer and PS4 have HDMI outputs. Therefore, a computer with an HDMI input is required to play PS4 on a laptop screen. HDMI input is found in just a few computers on the market.
It’s not out of the question that you’ll be able to link your PS4 console to your laptop screen. If you have the technical know-how, you may attempt an alternate technique by making tiny adjustments to your laptop’s pre-set hardware. (It’s conceivable, but we don’t advise it)
You’ll need to remove the back panel of your laptop and look for the HDMI port ribbon plug converter. You may utilize this ribbon connector as your display input, and however, due to the danger, we recommend that you avoid this approach.
Let’s start with the positive news. There are many different methods to play PS4 on your laptop that don’t need an HDMI connection or any technical or hardware modifications. For example, you may achieve so by using the following ways:
Let’s look at how these ways may help you connect your PS4 to your laptop screen in more detail.
Playing with the Sony Remote
When Sony’s engineers noticed that their consumers required something more than the typical TV plugin play, they launched the Remote Play capability.
There is no need for any extra gear. Only a high-speed internet connection and working console controllers are required.
Step 1: Get the Sony Remote Play App on your phone.
On your laptop, download the appropriate version of the Remote Play app from Sony’s website. If you already have the app, upgrade it to the most recent version.
Step 2: Update your PlayStation 4.
The next step is to access the ‘Settings’ menu on your PlayStation 4. Select “Account Management” from the ‘PlayStation Network menu. Then, enable the ‘Active as Primary PS4’ option under Account Management.
Make sure you have the most recent software for your PlayStation 4. If it isn’t already updated, use the ‘System Software Update.’
Step 3: Select “Remote Play” from the drop-down menu.
Navigate to ‘Settings’ on your PS4 console and enable the ‘Remote Play Connection Settings.’ To utilize Remote Play on your PC, you’ll need to put your PS4 in rest mode rather than on.
Step 4: Connect the DualShock 4 Controller.
Connect your laptop and console connection using the DualShock 4 wireless USB adaptor. This is accomplished by holding the “Share” and “Circular” buttons on your PS controller until a light bar flashes.
Step 5: Look for the PS4 Network.
- Open the Remote Play App and choose the start option on your laptop.
- Go to your PlayStation Network account and sign in.
- The software will look for a PS4 on the network to connect to. After a successful scan, the program will show the PS home screen on your laptop screen.
Now you’re ready to play the greatest PS4 games on your laptop as a display.
Recording feature built-in
The PS4 features a built-in recording feature that allows you to record your gameplay with audio narration and save it to your computer.
You may also utilize this capability to stream your PS4 straight to your laptop’s screen in real-time.
This is incredibly simple to set up. The specific actions to take are as follows:
- First, check whether your PS4 and laptop are on the same network.
- Next, open the game you’d want to record or play.
- On your controller, press the “share” button. It will bring up a menu with many sharing sub-options.
- To go to the “broadcasting settings” sub-menu, go to “advance settings” and then “broadcasting settings.”
- Select your laptop from this list, and you should be able to begin streaming immediately.
What makes this technique so popular? It’s because it doesn’t need the usage of a video capture card. Additionally, you may record your gaming with your narration and share it with your friends or even upload it on YouTube for walkthroughs.
You’re probably wondering why you didn’t notify me about this earlier. The reason for this is that the feed has a tiny lag. Even if it’s just a fraction of a second, an adversary may kill you in that time.
OBS is open-source recording software
OBS is a third-party screen recording program that lets you utilize your laptop as a monitor with your PlayStation 4. You don’t need a video capture card to play PS4 on a computer, which is one of the great benefits of this.
The following are some of the advantages of selecting this option:
- Open-source software is available for free.
- Real-time AV capture with high performance
- Noise reduction, audio mixing, and gain
- Streamlined parameters
- You may analyze your PS4 screen recordings in studio mode and eliminate any bits that aren’t essential.
The program is compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Here’s how to get everything set up so you can use OBS software:
- From their official website, you may download and install the OBS recorder.
- Select the window capture option in OBS.
- You may tailor your recordings to your preferences using the available options.
- Go to your PS4’s main menu and click “OK.”
Compared to video capture equipment and other sophisticated software on the market, ‘Open Broadcaster Software,’ or OBS, is less expensive and easier to use. In addition, video streaming has very little latency.
Make use of a video capture card
You may use a video capture device to play PS4 on a laptop without using Remote Play.
By routing the connection via a video capture device, you may connect your PS4 to a laptop using an HDMI cable.
We suggest this card if you don’t already have one: AVerMedia Live Portable 2. This is a fantastic game capture card with minimal latency. There are less expensive choices, but none that we would suggest.
This is how you do it.
Step 1: Double-check your connections.
Go to the PS4 menu’s settings and then to the network settings to enable file sharing. To ensure that the device is connected to the internet, open your Internet Connection settings and locate your network connection.
If you don’t have a wireless connection, you’ll need Ethernet cords to connect the PS4 and the laptop to the same network.
Step 2: Installing the Software.
To successfully install the video card’s driver and software suite, connect the video capture card to your laptop. After that, you’ll need to install the card’s drivers. This is a critical step for utilizing a computer as a PS4 display.
Step 3: Connect the Video Capture Card.
After you’ve loaded all of the necessary drivers and software, the following step is to connect your PS4 console to the video capture card.
To connect the video card to your PS4, you’ll need an HDMI cable. First, connect the PS4 to the capture card via an HDMI cable, connecting the PS4’s HDMI-OUT port to the capture card’s HDMI-IN port. Connect the capture card to your laptop after that.
Step 4: Install and Run the Software.
The program must then be executed on your laptop as the last step. Finally, the program will look for a PS4 connection, and if it is found, it will show PS4 on your laptop screen after a successful setup.
Play PS4 on a Laptop as an Extra: PS: Right now
Here’s a bonus!
What if you could connect your PS4 to the internet at all times, log on to the internet from anywhere globally, and start playing games on your PS4 via a laptop?
Sony PlayStation Now, on the other hand, makes it feasible. The best thing is that you don’t even need a PS4 to do this!
Sony PS Now is a cloud gaming service that allows you to play PS4 games from your laptop or PC through the internet.
Sony has a massive network of PS4s available for rent at their facility, and you may use them anytime you want. It’s essentially a virtual gaming machine.
You’ll need a high-speed, dependable internet connection to get started. Suppose you don’t have a gaming laptop or computer. In that case, this is a beautiful alternative since the server handles all of the visual rendering and processing, leaving you with simply the media and controls.
The download and installation procedures are simple and quick:
- From Sony’s official website, download PS Now for the proper OS.
- After downloading the file, run the setup wizard and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Launch the application when it has been installed, create an account, and choose a subscription plan.
- After that, you may begin playing your favorite games.
However, the video feed has a considerable lag, which might spoil your whole game experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The following are the most often asked questions regarding utilizing a laptop as a PS4 display.
How to Use a Laptop as a PS4 Monitor Without Using Remote Play
Either a video capture card or third-party software, such as OBS software, will be required.
How can a laptop be used as a PS4 monitor without a capture card?
If you don’t want to utilize a video capture card to link your PS4 to your laptop’s display, you may broadcast your PS4’s screen using tools like OBS and Remote Play on your laptop. You need a high-speed connection and your controller for this, and you can use your laptop as the display without a video capture device.
How can I connect my PS4 to a laptop that doesn’t have a television?
It may not always be able to have a TV at your PS4’s disposal. This is where PS Now comes into play. You don’t need a console if you have a PlayStation Now membership. Pay for the membership on Sony’s official website, and you’ll have the best of all worlds when it comes to streaming PS games on television.
Conclusion
So, if we were to list the best methods to utilize your laptop as a PS4 display, they would be as follows.
- Playing from afar
- Use the built-in recording feature on the PS4 to capture games.
- OBS is open-source recording software.
- With the help of a video capture card
- PS Now
You should be able to connect a PS4 to a laptop using any of these techniques. A portable display for your PS4 is also available.
So, out of all of these options, one did you choose? Or are you still having problems? Let us know in the comments section below, and we’ll get back to you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play my PS4 on my laptop with HDMI?
A: Unfortunately, you cannot play your PS4 on a laptop with HDMI. There is not enough video processing power for the two to work together.
Can I use my laptop as a monitor with HDMI?
A: Yes, you can connect your laptop to a TV with an HDMI cable.
How do I connect my PS4 to my laptop with HDMI without a capture card?
A: You will need the following
– HDMI cable
– USB to Micro B cable
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