How To Use Laptop As Monitor For PS4 (Step-By-Step Guide)

The parabolic rise of gaming has been incredible to watch. From simple games like pong and Tetris to the high-end consoles and games we have today, gaming has never been more popular.

Console players, the ones who typically play while sitting on the couch hooked up to their tv, make up a huge percentage of gamers. After all, you only need a good console and a TV to get involved, as well as an internet connection.

Luckily, there are some workarounds to use a laptop as a monitor if you don't have a TV setup.

If you have a good gaming monitor, this might also be another reason to use your monitor to play your games.

Can you use Your Laptop as a Monitor for PS4?

This article will look at how you can connect the monitor from your computer or your laptop straight into the PS4—allowing you to play on that display.

Normally, you can pick up a cheap gaming monitor for a lot less than its equivalent in the television world. This can be a great way to upgrade to a better resolution.

There are two methods that you can use to do this.

How to Make my Laptop a Monitor for PS4

First Method - Remote Play

Remote Play is a special service offered by the guys at Playstation themselves, Sony. This service is designed to allow those with both a computer and a PS4 the ability to use their laptop as a monitor for PS4 games.

For this method to work, you are going to need the following things:

A PC or Laptop capable of running the software
A PS4 console in your name
A good internet connection
A USB cable
A PS4 Live Account

Here is how you do it.

1
The first step is to download the special software onto your computer or laptop. You can find that download here.
2
The next step is to head on over to your console. Make your way to the settings panel and look for account management. Once there, click "Enable" next to Active as Primary Ps4.
3
The third step will be to update your PS4 to 3.5. You can do this in the update section of the settings.
4
The fourth step will be to head to your settings again. Find the Remote Play options and enable them. From this point on, your PS4 must be switched on or at least in rest mode.
5
Now we head to settings and find the power save settings. Here we turn on PS4 network mode.
6
Now we had over to the Remote Play software that you downloaded onto your computer earlier. Head to the settings tab and change the performance settings to your preference. If you have a powerful computer, one that has better specs than the PS4 you are using, you can make use of this to boost settings more than you could normally. This is one of the best ways to make use of a laptop as a monitor.
7
Now we are going to connect the controller that you use on your console to the PC. You can do this either by connecting the controller via USB to your computer. If that doesn't work, you can press the PS and the Share button simultaneously on your controller. Once it starts flashing, reconnect it to your computer via a wire.
8
Now you are good to go. To start, open the remote play app on your computer and sign in using the credentials from your PS4. Remember that the PS4 needs to be on for this to work.

That's it! You can now play PS4 using your laptop as a monitor.

Second Method - Video Capture Card

Sometimes things don't work. If you have run into problems using the previous method, here is another one you can try. To set up this way, you will require:

A good laptop.
A good video capture card
An HDMI lead with dual functionality
A PS4 and PS4 console
Good internet.
Enabled Fire Sharing - Done inside the network settings tab on the console.

Here is how you do it.

1
Take your video capture card out of the box and connect it to your laptop or PC. Run any setup that it requires.
2
Next, you will need to use a connection cable to connect your Ps4 console to your capture card. Connect your ps4 console to your video card via HDMI.
3
The final step is to run the software that came with your video card. Once that is open and your PS4 console is turned on, you should be able to see your console using your laptop as a monitor.

Now you should be fighting zombies and building forts in no time.

Conclusion

When bad things happen... and they do, knowing a good workaround is always handy. We are blessed to live in a time where technology has become so interconnected.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you won't be left out of the fight when your TV decides to implode.

Jake Redman

Jake Redman is a UK-born-digital nomad & founder of Ultimate Quality Content, a collective of high-end copywriters formed to provide detailed insight into everything technology-related. Jake is the definition of a man-nerd. He gets excited over things like processor architecture, ray-tracing, & is an avid E-Sports fan, specifically League of Legends. When he isn’t writing detailed tech-related articles, Jake can be found performing fire-breathing shows & wields a dragon staff, or on the sofa playing Mario Kart.