Console Computer Vision: How PS5 and Xbox Video and Input Reach a PC

Two directions: video in, input out

A PS5 or Xbox was never designed to hand its picture or its controller port to a PC. A console computer vision setup solves that with two separate links. Keep them apart in your head: they use different hardware and they fail in different ways.

• Video: console → capture card → PC. The console's HDMI output goes into a capture card. The card passes the signal through to your TV or monitor and, at the same time, sends a copy to the PC over USB or PCIe. Software on the PC reads that feed like a webcam and runs computer-vision models on each frame.
• Input: PC → output device → console. Anything the PC sends to the console, for example keyboard and mouse input translated into controller input or an accessibility remap, has to arrive as controller input. That is the job of a USB adapter such as the Titan Two, a Makcu, or a Remote Play session running on the PC.

The video link is the same in every setup. The input link is where you choose. On the vision side, typical uses are match analysis, stats, overlays, replay review, accessibility and dataset capture for research.

Where IRONICS fits in the chain

IRONICS is a Windows desktop launcher by IRONHIDE Software. One app hosts IRONHIDE's computer-vision modules, including IRONAIM, and its input plugins. It works with PS5, Xbox and PC, ships with built-in computer-vision models (integrated weights) and offers several modes you switch between inside the launcher. It also works as a controller input translator: controller, keyboard and mouse input is translated for the target platform.

For console play, the computer-vision modules read the capture card feed, so a capture card is required in every setup. For the input direction, IRONICS fully supports three routes: a Titan Two, Remote Play with the built-in Virtual Titan, or a Makcu. The IRONICS overview lists everything the launcher includes; the rest of this guide compares the three routes and shows how to wire each one.

The three setups compared

If you already own a Titan Two, start there; what a Titan Two is and how it works explains its ports and software. If you want the fewest parts, Remote Play is the no-adapter route, and using IRONICS without a Titan Two covers Remote Play and Makcu in more depth.

Wiring walkthrough: Titan Two

The Titan Two has two USB inputs on the front, Input-A and Input-B, and two ports on the back: OUTPUT, which goes to the console, and PROG, which goes to a computer. ConsoleTuner documents redirecting input from a computer to the adapter, which is what makes a PC-driven setup possible.

1. Video first. Run an HDMI cable from the console's HDMI OUT to the capture card's HDMI IN, a second HDMI cable from the card's HDMI OUT to your TV or monitor, and the card's USB cable to a USB 3 port on the PC (or install a PCIe card).
2. PS5 only: switch HDCP off. With the PS5 connected straight to the TV, go to Settings > System > HDMI and turn off Enable HDCP, then reconnect through the capture card. Otherwise the capture feed stays black.
3. Titan Two to console. A USB cable goes from the Titan Two's OUTPUT port to a USB port on the console. On PS5, ConsoleTuner recommends Settings > Accessories > Controllers > Communication Method > Use USB Cable.
4. Controller and authentication. Your controller goes into Input-A. Input-B takes the console's original controller where authentication is needed; ConsoleTuner lists that as required on PS4 and Xbox One. On PS5, the PS5 adapter (for example the P5 General) goes into Input-B instead, because PS5 games don't accept the Titan Two without it.
5. Titan Two to PC. The PROG port goes to the PC over USB, so software on the PC can talk to the adapter.
6. Software. For the IRONICS side, follow the setup guides on our Discord (discord.gg/ironaim).

Wiring walkthrough: Remote Play with the Virtual Titan

This route replaces the adapter with software. The console streams to the PC through Sony's or Microsoft's own Remote Play app, and IRONICS' built-in Virtual Titan, a software controller, acts as the controller for that session. The capture card still supplies the video the vision modules read; Remote Play is only the route for controller input.

1. Video: wire console → capture card → TV and card → PC exactly as in the Titan Two setup, including HDCP off on PS5.
2. Network: connect the console and the PC to the same router, by Ethernet if you can. Sony asks for at least 5 Mbps up and down and recommends 15 Mbps; Microsoft asks for 7–10 Mbps and recommends 5 GHz Wi-Fi over 2.4 GHz.
3. PS5: go to Settings > System > Remote Play and turn on Enable Remote Play. To connect while the console is in rest mode, turn on Stay Connected to the Internet and Enable Turning On PS5 from Network under Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode.
4. Xbox: open the guide, go to Profile & system > Settings > Devices & connections > Remote features, select Enable remote features, and set Power options to Sleep. Remote play doesn't work in other power modes.
5. PC: install the PS Remote Play app or the Xbox app for Windows, sign in with the same account as the console, and connect once to confirm the stream works.
6. Software: for the IRONICS side, follow the setup guides on our Discord (discord.gg/ironaim).

App setup, network tuning, quality settings and error codes are covered step by step in our PS5 and Xbox Remote Play on PC guide.

Wiring walkthrough: Makcu

Makcu is a USB passthrough device. Its maker labels three USB ports: USB 1 connects to the target device, USB 2 (COM) connects to the PC that controls it, and USB 3 takes the USB input device that is passed through. In IRONICS, the Makcu is driven by the same built-in Virtual Titan that handles Remote Play.

1. Video: console → capture card → TV and card → PC, with HDCP off on PS5.
2. Makcu USB 1 → console. Use a data-capable USB cable to a free USB port on the console.
3. Makcu USB 2 (COM) → PC. This is the link the PC uses to drive the device.
4. Makcu USB 3 → input device. The maker notes that a mouse or keyboard must be connected here for the Makcu to operate.
5. Software: the setup guides on our Discord cover the IRONICS side and the details for each console.

Shopping checklist

• Windows PC with a free USB 3 (5 Gbps) port directly on the motherboard. How much GPU you need depends on the vision workload.
• Capture card with HDMI passthrough that captures at least 1080p60. Look up how to choose a capture card for console computer vision for current models and their capture modes.
• Two HDMI cables: console to card and card to TV, rated for the resolution and refresh rate you play at.
• Titan Two route: a Titan Two, a PS5 adapter such as the P5 General if you play on PS5, and USB cables for OUTPUT and PROG.
• Remote Play route: Ethernet cables for the console and the PC, or at least a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network.
• Makcu route: a Makcu, three USB cables, and a mouse or keyboard for its passthrough port.
• A controller to test the console connection on its own first; PS Remote Play accepts a DualSense, DualSense Edge or DualShock 4 over USB.
• IRONICS access, which is by subscription through our Discord.

Common mistakes

• Black capture on PS5. HDCP is still on. Turn off Enable HDCP under Settings > System > HDMI while the PS5 is connected directly to the TV.
• Treating Remote Play as the video source. In IRONICS, Remote Play carries input only. The vision modules need the capture card feed in every setup.
• Capture card on USB 2.0 or a hub. Uncompressed 1080p60 video needs roughly 2 Gbit/s, while USB 2.0 tops out at 480 Mbit/s. Use a USB 3 port on the motherboard.
• A console output the card can't capture. Many cards pass through more than they capture. The Elgato HD60 X, for example, passes through 4K60 but captures 4K only at 30 fps. Pick a console output mode from the card's capture list.
• Titan Two on PS5 without the PS5 adapter. The Titan Two powers up, but PS5 games won't accept it until the PS5 adapter sits in Input-B.
• Wrong power settings for Remote Play. Xbox remote play needs the Sleep power mode; the PS5 needs the two rest-mode network options turned on.
• 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi for Remote Play. Microsoft says 2.4 GHz works but isn't optimized or recommended. Use Ethernet or 5 GHz.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• ConsoleTuner — Titan Two
• Titan Two Europe — Titan Two PS5 setup guide (P5 adapter)
• MAKCU — What is MAKCU?
• Elgato — How to set up Game Capture 4K S with PlayStation 5
• Elgato — Game Capture HD60 X
• PlayStation — Control your PS5 console from a Windows PC
• Xbox Support — How to set up remote play