Phosphor
Handheld and console gaming
Connect your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, PlayStation, or Xbox. Phosphor Pro features automatic black-bar cropping via a luma-threshold GPU scan to fit the iPad screen.
Phosphor Monitor · iPad only · iPadOS 17+
A physical wired HDMI monitor for your iPad.
Connect your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Mac, or PC to your USB-C iPad using a standard UVC capture adapter. It relies on a direct hardware connection, meaning zero network latency and no wireless compression.
Built for consoles, handhelds, and workstations
Wired second display for Mac and PC
Avoid wireless Sidecar or AirPlay mirroring. Use a physical HDMI link for coding and reference documents with uncompressed 1:1 pixel rendering.
Field monitoring and capture
Use your iPad as a field monitor with audio monitoring and mute. Phosphor Pro unlocks direct-to-disk 60fps recording and unadorned source frame snapshots.
What is Phosphor Monitor?
Phosphor Monitor turns your USB-C iPad into a portable wired HDMI monitor. Plug in any standard UVC capture card and use your iPad as a Nintendo Switch screen, a Steam Deck portable display, or a wired MacBook second monitor.
This is a direct physical wired UVC tool. It explicitly avoids confusing claims about wireless AirPlay or Sidecar mirroring. You rely on a dedicated hardware video connection, meaning zero network dependence and no heavy compression.
- iPad only (USB-C, iPadOS 17+), not available on iPhone
- Works with any standard UVC HDMI or USB-C video capture card
How it works
Three connections. No account. No cloud relay.
- 1 · HDMI source Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, Mac, PC, or any HDMI / USB-C video source.
- 2 · Capture dongle HDMI in, USB-C out. Connect an external capture card to your USB-C iPad.
- 3 · Phosphor on iPad Live HDMI preview, aspect fit/stretch with pinch zoom, audio monitoring and mute, plus optional Pro tools.
Popular setups & companion tools
Focused guides and companion utilities for your setup.
Phosphor Touch Beta
Control your Mac or Windows desktop with touch gestures and trackpad navigation from your iPad.
Download & learn more →Wired Mac second display
A Sidecar alternative that stays sharp when conference Wi‑Fi does not.
Open the Mac guide →Nintendo Switch on iPad
Use your iPad as a Switch monitor over HDMI — portable, full-screen, with game audio.
Open the Switch guide →Steam Deck portable display
A travel second screen for Deck, plus optional 60 fps clips to Photos.
Open the Steam Deck guide →Portable console gaming
Use your iPad as a Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck monitor.
Connect Switch, Steam Deck, PlayStation, or Xbox to your USB-C iPad using a standard UVC capture adapter. It provides a reliable wired connection without relying on local network bandwidth.
- Edge-to-edge gameplay: Aspect fit and stretch with pinch zoom are free. Phosphor Pro includes automatic black-bar cropping via a luma-threshold GPU scan to fill the screen.
- Audio monitoring and mute: Digital game audio routes to iPad speakers or headphones, with full mute controls.
- Travel-ready: Play on the mobile screen you already pack. Requires HDMI in, or USB-C video in for Switch and Steam Deck.
Switch on iPad Steam Deck display
Latency: How snappy it feels depends mostly on your capture hardware. Look for dongles sold for low latency; Phosphor only adds the picture tools you turn on.
Framing modes
Wired second display
A stable wired MacBook second monitor.
Send HDMI or USB-C video from your Mac or PC into Phosphor. It operates over a physical cable, avoiding the latency and stutter of Sidecar and AirPlay.
- Bypasses wireless constraints: Never depend on local Wi-Fi bandwidth.
- Uncompressed text: Direct video rendering avoids wireless compression artifacts, keeping code and documents highly readable.
- Interactive input: Use your iPad as a multi-touch surface or trackpad to control macOS and Windows with Phosphor Touch (Beta).
- Auxiliary screen: Pack a second reference display in your laptop bag without any complex network pairing.
Signal path
Why Phosphor
A dedicated hardware video pipe for Switch, Steam Deck, Mac, and PC. No Wi‑Fi dropouts, no subscription, and picture and touch tools that stay out of the way until you need them.
Major Pro Feature · Public Beta
Touch controls for Mac & PC Beta
Transform your iPad into a touch screen or huge precision trackpad. Phosphor Touch bridges your iPad gestures to macOS and Windows via an instant local input stream — allowing direct clicking, window dragging, drawing, and multi-finger navigation.
Phosphor Touch is currently in public beta (v0.1.1). Pre-built companion apps are available for macOS and Windows.
- Touchscreen mode: Direct tap and drag on desktop windows with pixel-exact coordinate mapping
- Trackpad mode: Smooth multi-touch pointing, secondary click, and 2-finger scrolling
- Zero-config pairing: Instant Bonjour / mDNS discovery on your local network
- Free companion app: Pre-built native binaries for macOS and Windows (v0.1.1 Beta)
Phosphor Touch architecture
Fit any HDMI shape
Aspect fit, stretch, pinch zoom, and suggested OS resolutions are free. Phosphor Pro unlocks automatic black-bar cropping via a GPU luma-threshold scan, alongside freeform pan and rotate.
- Free: Aspect fit, stretch, pinch zoom, and suggested resolutions
- Pro: Automatic black-bar / letterbox cropping (Smart Fill)
- Pro: Freeform pan and rotate positioning
Real-time picture tuning
Adjust brightness, contrast, vibrancy, temperature, and sharpness directly on the live feed.
- Pro: Image post-processing on the live preview
- Control brightness, contrast, vibrancy, and temperature
- Pro: Image Detail (sharpen/smooth filters)
Capture stills free; record with Pro
Snapshot the live HDMI feed to Photos anytime. Phosphor Pro unlocks direct-to-disk 60fps MP4 recording for gameplay highlights and bug reports.
- Free: Snapshot (clean frame or as-shown)
- Free: HDMI audio monitoring and mute
- Pro: Direct-to-disk 60fps video and audio recording
Capture card detected
Plug in a standard UVC capture stick and Phosphor finds your video input, then guided setup or jump straight to the live monitor.
- Instant hardware detection when the dongle is ready
- Start guided setup or connect now
View the setup guide
In-app guides show which adapter you need and how to wire HDMI with charging. Then pick a dongle below. The diagrams match what you see in Phosphor.
- Works with standard UVC HDMI capture cards
- Step-by-step tips for computer, console, or something else
- “What adapter do I need?” help when you’re still shopping
Hardware requirements
An iPad with USB-C running iPadOS 17 or later, an HDMI cable, and any standard UVC HDMI capture card. USB 3.0 models with Power Delivery pass-through are recommended. Sources with USB-C video out — Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and many MacBooks — can use a USB-C video-in card instead.
Hardware links may go to Amazon. Phosphor may earn a commission on qualifying purchases. We are not affiliated with listed brands. See Legal & disclosures.
Interactive hardware recommendation
The clean all-in-one route
Choose a USB-C capture dongle with integrated Power Delivery pass-through. HDMI (or USB-C video) goes in, one cable goes to the iPad, and your charger plugs into the dongle so the tablet stays powered while Phosphor shows the live feed.
- Best everyday setup for desk, couch, and travel
- Fewer cables than a separate OTG splitter
- See the Charging built in and USB-C video out cards below
The modular splitter route
Low-latency gaming cards often omit Power Delivery. Pair any standard UVC capture dongle with a USB-C OTG data/power splitter: video on one path, charger on the other, so the iPad can stay plugged in during long sessions.
- Console or HDMI → capture card → OTG splitter → iPad
- Charger into the splitter’s power port
- Listed under Gaming hardware as USB-C OTG splitter
Chipset transparency
Phosphor talks to standard UVC capture devices. USB 3.0 cards built on chips such as the MacroSilicon MS2130 can deliver uncompressed YUY2 video — lower encode delay and cleaner text than many budget USB 2.0 dongles that only offer heavily compressed MJPEG.
- Prefer USB 3.0 UVC when you care about latency or code/UI sharpness
- MJPEG is fine for casual preview; it softens fine type
- Always confirm the listing says UVC / works as an external camera on iPad
Charging built in
HDMI in, USB-C to iPad, and power pass-through so you can charge while you use it, all in one compact setup.
-
USB-C capture with power pass-through Recommended4K & HD out · Power Delivery
- WARRKY capture 1080p60 · right-angle USB-C · 100W Power Delivery
USB-C video out (no HDMI port)
For Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, MacBook, and other sources that output video over USB-C — capture with USB-C video in and Power Delivery.
- USB-C video capture USB-C video input · Power Delivery
- USB-C video capture USB-C video input · Power Delivery
Gaming: lower latency
When response time matters, choose capture gear sold for low latency. Many of these omit Power Delivery — pair them with the USB-C OTG splitter so your iPad can charge.
- Guermok 4K144 ultra-low-latency HDMI 2.1 · HDR/VRR · 100W Power Delivery
- USB-C OTG splitter (data + power) Data + charging for cards without Power Delivery
- DX20R ultra-low-latency capture No Power Delivery · pair with OTG splitter
- ezcap386 4K60 ultra-low-latency No Power Delivery · pair with OTG splitter
- Elgato 4K X HDMI 2.1 · 4K144 · no Power Delivery · needs OTG splitter
- AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra S 4K60 · HDR/VRR · no Power Delivery · needs OTG splitter
- AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra 2.1 HDMI 2.1 · 4K144 · no Power Delivery · needs OTG splitter
- AVMATRIX UC1218-4K 4K60 loop-out · no Power Delivery · needs OTG splitter
Phosphor is not affiliated with these brands. Listings and availability change. Verify compatibility with your iPad and HDMI source before purchase. Questions? support@getphosphor.dev.
Free vs Phosphor Pro
$9.99 once
One-time Pro unlock, no subscription. Today’s monitor tools and touch controls, plus new Pro features as we ship them, included by default.
Example price in USD. Confirm the current Phosphor Pro price in the App Store before you buy; regional pricing may differ.
Download free to try live HDMI preview, aspect fit/stretch, pinch zoom, suggested resolutions, snapshots, and audio monitoring. Unlock Phosphor Pro once for wireless touch and trackpad control, automatic black-bar cropping, pan/rotate, custom resolution signal control, real-time picture tuning, and direct-to-disk 60fps recording. No subscriptions.
| Feature | Phosphor Free | Phosphor Pro (lifetime unlock) |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI live preview and audio | Included | Included |
| Phosphor Touch (Touchscreen and Trackpad control) Beta | Companion app download | Full multi-touch, click, drag and trackpad control |
| Viewport modes | Aspect fit, stretch, and pinch zoom | Smart Fill crop, freeform pan, and rotate |
| Hardware signal control | System default and suggested resolutions | Full custom resolution and aspect picker |
| Real-time picture tuning | Standard preview | Brightness, contrast, vibrancy, temperature, and sharpness |
| Direct-to-disk capture | Snapshots to Photos | Direct-to-disk 60fps recording |
| Pricing | Free | $9.99 one-time (no subscriptions) |
What you get with Phosphor Pro
Phosphor is built for wired HDMI on iPad: second screen, consoles, cameras, live picture tools, and interactive touch controls. Free covers everyday monitoring; Pro unlocks the extras you need when framing, control, or capture matters, and keeps unlocking as we add more.
- Free to start: Live HDMI preview, aspect fit/stretch, pinch zoom, suggested resolutions, audio monitoring, and snapshots.
- Touch and trackpad input (Beta): Phosphor Touch turns your iPad into an interactive touch screen and precision trackpad for Mac and Windows.
- Pro framing and picture: Automatic black-bar cropping, pan, rotate, full resolution signal control, and real-time picture tuning.
- Pro capture: Direct-to-disk 60fps video and audio recording to Photos.
- Pay once, stay current: about $9.99 once (confirm in the App Store). Future Pro features are included by default, with no subscription and no separate upgrades for each release.
Restore Pro anytime from the upgrade screen in the app (same Apple ID).
Phosphor Pro vs standard UVC apps
Feature advantages over typical UVC preview tools, without naming other products.
| Feature | Standard UVC apps | Phosphor Pro ($9.99 lifetime) |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop touch & trackpad input | None (one-way video viewing only) | Phosphor Touch wireless touchscreen & trackpad stream |
| Black-bar & letterbox handling | Rigid stretch modes or permanent black borders | Intelligent edge-detection and auto-crop |
| Gameplay & desktop recording | Relies on OS screen recording (HUD clutter, frame drops) | Direct-to-disk video and audio hardware recording |
| Frame snapshots | Basic lossy screen grabs | Lossless source frame snapshots |
| Viewport control | Fixed aspect presets | Freeform pan, zoom, and 90°/180° rotation |
| Input signal control | System default auto-negotiation only | Custom resolution and aspect ratio selection |
| Monetization | Subscriptions or limited unlocks | $9.99 one-time lifetime unlock — no subscriptions |
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers before you buy.
How do Touch Controls work with Mac and PC?
Phosphor Pro brings wireless multi-touch and precision trackpad controls to your Mac or Windows PC via our companion app, Phosphor Touch (currently in public beta). While HDMI sends pure, lag-free 60 fps video to your iPad, touch taps, gestures, and clicks stream over your local network in real time. Download the v0.1.1 companion app from our Phosphor Touch page.
What hardware do I need to get started?
An iPad with USB-C running iPadOS 17 or later, an HDMI cable, and any standard UVC HDMI capture card (USB 3.0 models with Power Delivery pass-through recommended). Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, and many MacBooks can use a USB-C video-in capture card instead. See recommended hardware.
Why use a wired UVC connection instead of wireless Sidecar or AirPlay?
Wireless mirroring depends on local Wi‑Fi bandwidth, introducing compression artifacts, variable frame pacing, and dropped packets. A wired UVC connection provides a dedicated, consistent hardware video pipe — the reason Phosphor works as a Nintendo Switch screen, Steam Deck portable iPad display, or wired MacBook second monitor.
What is Phosphor Monitor?
An iPad app that shows live HDMI video from a USB capture dongle. Connect HDMI source → capture card → USB-C iPad, then open Phosphor for a full-screen view with audio.
Can I AirPlay from my iPad to Apple TV while using Phosphor?
Yes. While Phosphor shows your HDMI feed, you can send the iPad screen to an Apple TV with AirPlay (Control Center → Screen Mirroring). Your wired HDMI setup stays the same; AirPlay quality depends on your network and Apple TV.
Can I use my iPad as a second monitor for Mac or PC?
Yes. Send HDMI or USB-C video from your MacBook or PC into a UVC capture card and Phosphor becomes a wired second monitor. Set up the display on your computer; Phosphor handles the iPad side. Pair it with Phosphor Touch for interactive touchscreen and trackpad capability.
Can I charge my iPad while I use Phosphor?
Yes, and you should for longer use, since Phosphor keeps the screen on. The simplest option is a capture dongle with USB-C power pass-through: HDMI from your source, one cable to the iPad for video, and your charger plugged into the dongle so the tablet stays charged. Many low-latency gaming cards omit Power Delivery — pair those with the USB-C OTG splitter listed under Gaming hardware. See recommended hardware.
Does it work with retro 4:3 games?
Yes. Aspect Fit (free) keeps 4:3 games in their natural shape with black bars on the sides. Use Stretch Fit to fill the screen, or pinch / Zoom Adjust for a closer look. Phosphor Pro adds crop black bars, pan, and rotate when you need finer framing.
Can I hear game audio and record gameplay?
Yes. HDMI audio plays on your iPad with mute controls. Snapshots to Photos are free. Phosphor Pro adds MP4 recording from the same capture feed. No separate PC capture app needed for the clip.
How is Phosphor different from other iPad display apps?
Phosphor does one job well: full-screen wired HDMI through a USB capture dongle with powerful picture and touch tools. Free includes Aspect Fit, Stretch Fit, zoom, HDMI audio, and snapshots. Phosphor Pro unlocks wireless touch & trackpad input via Phosphor Touch, auto-crop, pan, rotate, image post-processing, the output resolution picker, and HDMI stream recording in one $9.99 lifetime unlock. New Pro features are included by default as we ship them; no subscription and no pay-per-update.
What iPad do I need?
A USB-C iPad running iPadOS 17 or later. Phosphor is iPad-only; there is no iPhone or Android version. See support for troubleshooting.
Can I use this on my iPhone?
Not at this time. Apple currently supports external capture card adapters on iPadOS only, so we cannot build an iPhone version unless Apple adds that capability. We would love to bring Phosphor to iPhone if it becomes possible.
System requirements
- Platform
- USB-C iPad running iPadOS 17 or later. iPad only, not iPhone.
- Companion App
- Phosphor Touch available for macOS (11+) and Windows (10/11) for touch & trackpad input (Public Beta v0.1.1).
- Hardware
- Capture dongle (HDMI-in or USB-C video-in + Power Delivery), cable as needed, optional power pass-through or USB-C splitter for charging.
- Latency
- A little delay is normal with USB capture. Pick a low-latency dongle for gaming; Phosphor is a portable monitor, not a broadcast box.