Apple has included excellent display panels in iMacs for years, but for a long time, there hasn’t really been a way to use it for anything but macOS. There used to be a feature called target display mode, but it has been discontinued for a long time. This has been a shame, as many iMacs have excellent displays that go to waste when the computer becomes outdated.
However, I found a pretty good solution and it involves a 4K capture card and a nifty app available on the Mac App Store. Any HDMI input, whether one Change 2PS5, Xbox or something else, it can show up on your iMac (either iPad USB-C!)
Sure, I have a TV in my room that I could use, but there’s something stylish and convenient about being able to have it in my room. iMac display on my desk.
the solution
For this solution, I have used UGREEN 4K 60Hz Capture Card. It’s not very cheap at $95, but it’s the most affordable offering from a reputable brand that promises 4K and 60Hz; many of the cheaper offerings skimp and only offer 4K at 30Hz. UGREEN Capture Card It also supports HDR, which I haven’t tested in the scope of this project, but if you wanted to use the screen of your MacBook Pro or a iPad Proyou could! It also supports up to 240Hz (though not 4K) if you want to use that.
As for software, I used an app in the Mac App Store called UVC video capture. It requires a $9.99/year subscription (and, annoyingly, has a record button with no option to hide it), but I found it to be the most reliable and has a free trial. For iPadyou can use Orion from the creators of Halide. It’s free at its core and has a one-time purchase of $9.99 for some additional features like brightness adjustment.
With both apps, it’s pretty simple: you plug in the HDMI cable from your source device (in my case, Change 2) in it capture cardthen connect the USB-C cable from the capture card to the iPad – and then open the app! Your content should be streaming.
Using this UGREEN capture cardhas had incredibly low latency, virtually indistinguishable from a native output. I’ve played a couple rounds of Mario Kart World and Fortnite since my Change 2 through me iMacand it has been great.
Wrap
It would certainly be nice if Apple brought back (and expanded) Target display mode so you didn’t need additional software for this and instead you could display any type of USB-C video input on your iMac. Apple initially removed it because Intel chips couldn’t support it on a 5K panel, among other technical limitations.
Apple hasn’t decided to bring it back to Apple Silicon, so in the meantime, this capture card + the app solution works like a charm.
Are you interested in doing more with your iMac screen, or are you more interested in using your iPad like a bigger screen for your Change 2? Let us know in the comments.
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