PS4 is an awesome game console. It is easily connected to any TV set. But can it be used with a laptop? It sure can, and in today’s article, you will learn how to connect PS4 to laptop.
Large TV sets are great, but they are not portable and they can often be occupied by another family member watching a movie or a TV show. On the other hand, you can easily pack PS4 and your laptop and move it around your home or even take it with you to your friend’s house. As such, we believe it is quite important to learn how to play & connect PS4 on laptop.
Are you ready to dig deeper? Let’s do this, shall we?
Using Laptop Monitor To Play PS4
Despite the fact that Sony launched PS5, PS4 still remains what most users stick with. Partly because the whole Covid-19 fiasco affected the finances of many people, and partly because PS4 is an awesome console that is still performing great and provides its users with a lot of fun and entertainment.
That said, let’s go into details on how to connect PS4 to laptop, so that you can use your laptop’s display to play your favourite rite games.
Using your laptop HDMI port, you can connect PS4 to it and avoid the need for a TV screen. Of course, the display size on your laptop won’t be as large, yet, the experience can be equally entertaining.
Aside from connecting the two machines using the HDMI cable, there are some additional steps that must be covered in order for you to sit back and enjoy your favourite game.
There are various ways to connect PS4 to laptop, however, some of them tend to be too complicated. As such, we recommend you to focus on the first two methods of how to connect PS4 to laptop that we believe are very simple, effective, and fast. One of the ways how to play PS4 on laptop involves connection through a streaming service or Remote Play, while the other one connects through the capture card.
There is also a third option that is relatively popular, which we will present as well. This one involves the use of PlayStation Now.
How to Connect PS4 to Laptop via Streaming Service or Remote Play
There are various streaming services available, however, going with Sony’s is the best option. Sony’s streaming service is called Remote Play and the whole purpose of this service is to enable PC and Mac users to enjoy playing PS4 on computer monitor devices.
What do you need to connect PS4 to laptop via Remote Play?
Here is a checklist, which you need to follow in order to successfully connect PS4 to laptop:
- PS4 console
- PC / laptop / Mac
- A Internet connection
- USB cable
- A PS4 account
Do you have all of the above checked? If so, we can proceed to the actual steps that will enable you to use your laptop as a monitor for your PS4.
Steps to take
The great thing about learning how to play & connect PS4 on laptop is that it is extremely simple and fast to get things set up. It takes only a couple of minutes. To make things even simpler for you, we decided to break it down into eight easy-to-follow steps.
- Step #1: We will start by downloading Remote Play to your computer. Use the link in the parenthesis to access a proper download file (“remoteplay.dl.playstation.net/remoteplay/lang/gb/index.html”). Once the file is downloaded, run it and follow the on-screen instructions.
- Step #2: Next, turn on your console and navigate to the Account Management menu, which is best done by the following path: Settings > PlayStation Network > Account Management. Once in the Account Management menu, enable ‘Active as Primary PS4’.
- Step #3: In order to properly connect your PS4 to laptop, you need to make sure that your PS4 is updated. As such, update your console’s software to 3.50 via the ‘System Software Update’ option.
- Step #4: Next, you need to enable the Remote Play Connection Settings. To do so, you must navigate to Settings > Remote Play Connection Settings. Once there, enable it. In order to use Remote Play on your PC or Mac, the PS4 console must remain turned on. Since PS4 has a special rest mode, we need to make sure that the settings are properly set.
- Step #5: To do the latter, you need to navigate to ‘Power Save Settings’ and finally enable turning on PS4 from the network. That option is reached through the following path: Settings > Power Save Settings > Set Features Available in Rest Mode > Enable Turning on PS4 from Network.
- Step #6: It is time to open the Remote Play that you downloaded on your PC/Mac in the 1st step. Then adjust the specifications for optimum gameplay experience. To do so, tap the Settings option to adjust the fps and resolution as per your screen’s resolution. Obviously, the more powerful your computer is, the higher you can keep your graphic settings.
- Step #7: Now it’s time to connect your PS4 controller to the desktop. This can be done either using the USB port or you can also connect it wirelessly by holding the PlayStation and Share buttons simultaneously on your controller. Once your controller’s LED starts flashing, connect it to your computer through the USB cable. It should take about 4 to 5 seconds for your controller to get paired. In case it takes longer, redo this step until the connection is properly established.
- Step #8: Congratulations, you’ve reached the last step. Here, you first need to open your Remote Play app on your laptop/PC/Mac. Once opened, log in using your console’s login credentials. Remember to make sure that the console is turned on otherwise you won’t be able to make the connection between your PS4 and the computer.
If all of the above steps have been properly done, you can start enjoying playing your favourite games. You can also use the PS4 to watch TV. You can use it in all its glory as if it was connected to the TV set, of course, typically on a slightly smaller screen.
How to Connect PS4 to Laptop via HDMI Cable
We have started with the connection option using Remote Play, as we feel is the best way to connect PS4 to laptop. However, using an HDMI cable is also a good option. Especially if for some reason you weren’t able to make the above steps work for you.
What do you need to connect PS4 to laptop via HDMI?
When we have connect the PS4 console to the laptop via HDMI cable, we also need to use the capture card. Let’s have a look at the full list of items you need in order to make this type of PS4-laptop connection work.
Here is a checklist of items to have at your hand before you start establishing the connection between the PS4 and laptop using HDMI cable:
- A laptop (or other types of computers)
- A video capture card
- Dual-function HDMI
- PS4 console
- Enables File sharing on your PS4 console (within the Network Settings menu)
- Wireless internet connection or connect between the PS4 console and laptop using Ethernet cables on the same router
Do you have all of the above ready? If so, you can move to the actual steps and make the connection.
Steps to take
The following steps must be taken in order to use your laptop’s display to play PS4:
- Step #1: Let’s start by enable file-sharing. To do so, navigate to the Connection Settings, which is done by navigating the following path; PS4 settings menu > Networks Settings > Internet Connection Settings. Once in the menu, find your internet router and connect it.
- Step #2: We must now install the Video Capture Card (VCC). To do so, use the USB port to plug it in. We recommend you use high-quality VCC in order to have a good user experience. To make the VCC function properly, it is essential to install the software and drivers that come along with the card.
- Step #3: Use the S-Video connection cable to connect the Video Capture Card to your PS4 console. Then attach the HDMI-out to the console and the HDMI-in to the VCC.
- Step #4: Open/rub the video capture software on your laptop.
- Step #5: Turn on the console. You should see your console appearing on the screen. Make sure that the VCC application is running on the full screen in order to display the full resolution. Enjoy!
If you have completed the above steps, you should now be able to enjoy your PS4 games on your laptop. If things are not functioning properly, review the above steps, and try again.
How to Connect PS4 to Laptop via PlayStation Now
We highly recommend you try the two options described above first as they are free and normally work great. However, if you happen to find the above two options not suitable for you, then you definitely want to consider using PlayStation Now.
Before we go into detailed steps that will provide you with all the information you need on how to connect PS4 to laptop, let’s have a closer look at what PlayStation Now is.
What is PlayStation Now?
PlayStation Now is a way to experience a PlayStation console gaming experience without actually having the PlayStation console. Yes, you read that right. Sounds interesting, right?
PlayStation Now is Sony’s new gaming subscription-based service, which enables you to play the PS2, PS3, and PS4 games without actually buying the console or the game itself, which can be extremely practical, if you intended to play on your laptop or PC.
As mentioned above, PlayStation Now isn’t free. It comes at a cost of $99.99 per year. This may seem like quite a lot, however, when you consider that it includes hundreds of great PlayStation games, all easily accessible and available on your laptop without having the hassle of owning a PS4, the price may appear relatively reasonable. Comparing this to the console’s price set at $299.99, you can play three years to reach the same price tag. If you already have a proper computer, PlayStation Now may be a great solution.
The PlayStation Now also comes with a 7-day free trial, which gives you a chance to test run it. If you don’t like it, simply cancel your subscription and walk away without paying a dime. Quite fair, right?
Another positive thing about using PlayStation Now is that it doesn’t require the most advanced computer characteristics. The following or better will get the job done: Windows 7. 8.1 or 10, Intel Core i3 with 3.5 GHz or AMD with 3.8 GHz, at least 2GB of RAM, and a minimum of 300MB of storage.
What do you need to connect PS4 via PlayStation Now?
At this point, you know that with PlayStation Now, there is no PlayStation Console involved. That said, there is no actual connection needed. All you need is a computer that meets the minimum requirements presented in the previous subsection, a solid internet connection, and $99.99/year.
Steps to take
By now you know enough to decide, whether or not the PlayStation Now is the right choice for you. If so, have a look at the action steps below
- Step #1: For starters, you need to download the PlayStation Now. To do so, you need to visit Sony’s official website, which can be easily accessed by Googling “download Sonny PlayStation Now”, which should provide you with the link to the download page among the first results.
- Step #2: Once you have downloaded the files, open the setup Wizard (PlayStation Now Setup) and click the ‘Next’ button. Make sure to check to agree to the license agreement in order to click next.
- Step #3: You will be asked to select your installation folder. Choose the folder that you prefer and click ‘Next’.
- Step #4: We suggest you check the box to create a shortcut on your desktop. Move forward by clicking the ‘Next’ button.
- Step #5: Click the ‘Install’ button. After doing so, you may be prompt (once or twice) in order to allow this app to make changes to your system/drive. To move along, click the ‘Allow’ button.
- Step #6: You will need to click the ‘Install’ button on the popup wizard for the wireless controller. After that give PlayStation Now a few minutes to complete the installation.
- Step #7: As the installation is completed, click the ‘Finish’ button, which will normally automatically run the PlayStation Now. If not, run it manually by double-clicking the desktop shortcut.
That is it. Once you are in you will first go through the onboarding process very similar to the one done with any PS console. Complete it and start enjoying the games.
Final Thoughts
If you got to this point, you should now be able to use any of the methods presented above to connect your console and connect it to your laptop, as such how to connect PS4 to laptop should no longer be a mystery. Once the connection is set up properly, how to play PS4 on laptop is no different than playing it on a console connected to the TV set. With any of these, your PS4 becomes completely portable (if used with a laptop) and not dependable on whether or not the TV set is available.
We also told you how to play PS4 on laptop without actually owning a PS4 console, which is done by exploiting Sony’s PlayStation Now option.
Whichever method on how to play PS4 on laptop you decide to go with, make sure to enjoy it to the fullest. After all, this is what gaming and the PS4 are all about.
