Orion hands-on: Turn your iPad into a portable HDMI monitor with this app

Apple introduced the iPadOS 17 software update earlier this month, and for the most part, it follows the improvements it has brought to iOS in previous years. But a small change in iPadOS 17 added USB Video Class (UVC) support for the built-in USB-C port on most modern iPads, opening up the possibilities for I/O devices on the iPad. While it was first confirmed that the iPad can now use UVC support for external webcams in the original iPadOS 17 API, it was later revealed that the iPad can now be turned into a fully functional HDMI monitor as well.

This kind of functionality used to work in iPadOS – sort of. With Sidecar, it was possible to extend your Mac’s screen using your iPad. This essentially turned it into a portable monitor, but only for compatible Macs and iPads. Forget about using a Windows PC or game console to get a similar experience. Additionally, while Macs can act as AirPlay receivers for iPhones, iPads don’t yet. This leaves a gap, and with UVC support, the Orion Video System is filling it. This is a program that turns your iPad into an external display without restrictions. We tried it, and it’s a very interesting solution for iPad owners.

How does the Orion program work?

The Orion Video System is the brainchild of Lux Optics, the company that developed Halide, the popular professional camera app on iOS. It basically tricks the iPad into thinking your output device—like a PC or game console—is a webcam. For this, you need an HDMI capture card. This is an inexpensive adapter designed to take HDMI input instead of output to another external display. There are tons of USB-C to HDMI adapters out there that you’d think would work, but trust me, they don’t. Luckily, there are plenty of affordable options on Amazon if you want to try this yourself. I’ve included the one I used below, but you can choose any of them.

Using the iPad as an external monitor for personal computers

Previously, while there was Sidecar for using your iPad as an external display for your Mac, there wasn’t an option for Windows. Since iPads are still some of the best tablets you can buy, it’s possible to use both an iPad and a Windows laptop. With the Orion app and the right cables, you can finally use your iPad as a portable monitor for your Windows device. As soon as you plug everything in and launch Orion, Windows will recognize the iPad as an external display. Then, you can choose to mirror your display or extend it through the Windows settings menu.

So, the Orion app makes using the iPad as a PC display fairly plug-and-play. However, a few points are worth noting. First, the iPad’s aspect ratio is 4:3, which means you may see black bars if your input device uses a widescreen aspect ratio. This is a huge disadvantage compared to Apple’s Sidecar, as the feature adjusts to use the iPad’s full display. Additionally, the resolution may not be the same between your iPad and your input device, which may make your content appear worse than usual. In that case, Orion offers the AI ​​upgrade as a premium feature that can be unlocked with a one-time $5 in-app purchase.

While Orion isn’t perfect, the fact that it’s possible at all is a credit to the app’s developers. For people who already have an iPad and want an external display for their Windows device, I can see this being a viable alternative to buying a dedicated portable monitor.

Orion is built for gaming and content consumption

I think the best part of the Orion app is using the iPad to play games and consume content. This will probably be more commonly used as well. After all, it’s more common for an iPad owner to own a gaming device than a Windows PC. With Orion, you can connect an Xbox or a Nintendo Switch for a portable or big-screen experience. Compared to expensive monitors designed for the Xbox Series S, using the iPad you already own can be a better alternative. Although I didn’t get to try playing with Orion, based on my experience with the app, it seems like a great way to use it. However, keep in mind that transferring video and audio through an HDMI cable, a capture card, and to the iPad is probably not the best way to delay.

What I tried was streaming media from iPhone to iPad with Orion and it was a great experience. The video was high quality, my iPhone could control the media on my iPad, and the Orion basically acted as an AirPlay display for my iPad. This is definitely included Why would you ever want to do that? territory but I can see a few reasons off the top of my head. For example, if you don’t have a personal hotspot and need to use your phone’s data to stream content, you can use Orion to watch it on the big screen. It’s also great if you have an iPhone with a large storage capacity and store all your media on it.

Beyond all that, it’s just fun

I’ve mentioned a few ways Orion can be really useful here, and my time using the app has been great. But to me it doesn’t matter if the app is a game changer for productivity or entertainment. It’s simply a fun tool and I’m glad it’s on the iPad. If you want to try it out, you can find Orion in the App Store.