How to Use IRONICS Without a Titan Two

Who this guide is for

IRONICS is the Windows desktop launcher from 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 acts as a controller input translator: controller, keyboard and mouse input is translated for the target platform.

To work with a console, IRONICS has to send controller output to it, and there are three fully supported ways to do that: a Titan Two, Remote Play, or a Makcu. This guide covers the two routes that don't involve a Titan Two. It is for you if:

• You own a PS5 or an Xbox and a Windows PC, but no Titan Two, and you would rather not buy one.
• You play on PS5 and want to skip the extra PS5 adapter, such as the P5 General, that a Titan Two needs on that console.
• You already use PS Remote Play or Xbox Remote Play on your PC and want IRONICS to use that connection.
• You have a Makcu USB passthrough device and want to use it as the output device instead.

If you are still deciding how console video and controller input should reach your PC in the first place, read the three console-to-PC setups compared first, then come back here.

What you need

The computer-vision modules in IRONICS need a capture card in every setup, because they work on the console's HDMI video. Without a Titan Two, the full hardware list is short:

• A Windows PC that runs IRONICS.
• A capture card that brings the console's HDMI output into the PC. If you don't have one yet, see how to choose a capture card for console video.
• One output route: PS Remote Play or Xbox Remote Play on the PC, or a Makcu.
• IRONICS access. Access is by subscription through our Discord at discord.gg/ironaim.

Remote Play comes with its own requirements from Sony and Microsoft. The values below are taken from their support pages:

For PS Remote Play, Sony also lists a 7th-generation Intel Core processor or later, 2 GB of RAM, a sound card and a USB port as the PC minimum. For a full walkthrough of both apps, read PS5 and Xbox Remote Play on Windows.

Preparing PS5 Remote Play

On the Remote Play route, IRONICS uses the PS Remote Play connection you already have, so the first job is to get Remote Play working on its own. The console settings below come from Sony's Remote Play support page.

On the PS5

1. Go to Settings → System → Remote Play and turn on Enable Remote Play.
2. To start sessions while the console is in rest mode, go to Settings → System → Power Saving → Features Available in Rest Mode and turn on Stay Connected to the Internet and Enable Turning on PS5 from Network.
3. Connect the PS5's HDMI output to the input of your capture card, and connect the capture card to the PC.
4. If the capture card shows no picture, turn off HDCP under Settings → System → HDMI → Enable HDCP. The PS5 enables HDCP by default, and capture cards can't record an HDCP-protected signal.

On the PC

1. Install the PS Remote Play app and sign in with the PlayStation Network account you use on the console.
2. Connect a DualSense, DualSense Edge or DUALSHOCK 4 to the PC with a USB cable, as Sony describes, and start a session to confirm that the app reaches your PS5.
3. Check that the capture card shows the PS5 picture on the PC.

Once Remote Play and the capture card both work, IRONICS's built-in Virtual Titan can drive the Remote Play session as a software controller. The PS5 Remote Play setup guide on our Discord (discord.gg/ironaim) covers the IRONICS side of this route.

Preparing Xbox Remote Play

Xbox Remote Play works with Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles. Microsoft's setup article starts on the console: enable the Sleep power option and remote features.

On the Xbox

1. Enable remote features on the console and set the power option to Sleep, as described in Microsoft's “How to set up remote play” article. The console has to be on, or asleep, for a session to start.
2. Connect the Xbox's HDMI output to the input of your capture card, and connect the capture card to the PC.

On the PC

1. Install the Xbox app for Windows and sign in with the Microsoft account that holds your Xbox profile.
2. Start a remote play session from the app to confirm that it can reach your console.
3. Check that the capture card shows the Xbox picture on the PC.

Microsoft recommends a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network or a connection of at least 10 Mbps download. Putting both the console and the PC on wired Ethernet takes most Wi-Fi variables out of the picture. From there, the Virtual Titan drives Xbox Remote Play the same way it does on PS5; the Xbox Remote Play setup guide on our Discord walks through the IRONICS side.

The Makcu route

A Makcu is a small USB passthrough device and the third fully supported output route. It is a hardware route: controller output goes through the Makcu rather than through a Remote Play session. IRONICS is ready for a Makcu out of the box through the built-in Virtual Titan, so there is nothing extra to download or prepare on the software side.

• Hardware: a Windows PC, a capture card for the computer-vision modules, and the Makcu.
• Console side: the console's HDMI output goes into the capture card, exactly as on the Remote Play route.
• Setup: the Makcu setup guide on our Discord shows how to connect the device and bring it up in IRONICS.

When a Titan Two is still the better choice

Going without a Titan Two saves the cost of the device and, on PS5, the extra adapter. A Titan Two can still be the better fit when:

• You already own one. IRONICS fully supports the Titan Two, so you can keep using the hardware you have.
• Your network is the weak link. Remote Play carries controller input over your home network, and Sony recommends at least 15 Mbps for the best experience. A Titan Two connects to the console over USB, so controller output doesn't depend on the network.
• You don't want to depend on a Remote Play session. On the Remote Play route, the Remote Play app on the PC has to stay connected for input to reach the console.
• You also use the device outside IRONICS. A Titan Two is a standalone adapter with its own configuration software, Gtuner IV, and ConsoleTuner lists support for many consoles beyond PS5 and Xbox. Our Titan Two explainer covers what it does.

Troubleshooting

Remote Play won't connect

• Test Remote Play on its own first. Open the PS Remote Play app or the Xbox app with a regular controller. If the app can't reach the console by itself, IRONICS can't use it either.
• Sign in again. Sony notes that your PC can't find and connect to the console if it has been a while since you last signed in.
• Recheck the console settings. On PS5, Enable Remote Play and both rest-mode options must be on. On Xbox, remote features must be enabled with the Sleep power option.
• Check the network. Sony asks for at least 5 Mbps up and down, with 15 Mbps recommended; Microsoft recommends 5 GHz Wi-Fi. Wired Ethernet on both ends is the most reliable fix.

Capture card not detected or showing black

• Turn off HDCP on PS5. Elgato's instructions: connect the PS5 straight to a TV, go to Settings → System → HDMI, switch Enable HDCP off, then reconnect the console through the capture card.
• Restart the Xbox after media apps. Elgato notes that on Xbox One consoles HDCP is off by default but turns on when apps such as Netflix launch, and a restart clears it.
• Check the USB connection. Plug the card directly into the PC, using the port type its maker specifies, rather than into a hub.
• Close other capture software. A capture device can usually be opened by only one app at a time, so close OBS, the Windows Camera app or the card's own utility while you use IRONICS.

Controller not recognized

• Disconnect other controllers from the PC while you test, so Remote Play doesn't pick up a different device.
• Close and reopen the Remote Play app, then try again.
• For a Makcu, recheck the cabling against the Makcu setup guide on our Discord before changing anything in software.
• Still stuck? When you ask for help on the Discord, list your console, your output route and your capture card model; that is usually enough to find the right guide.

Where to get help

All IRONICS setup instructions live in the setup guides on our Discord at discord.gg/ironaim. There is a guide for each setup:

• PS5 with Remote Play
• Xbox with Remote Play
• Makcu
• Titan Two
• Recommended capture cards

Access to IRONICS is by subscription through the same Discord. For an overview of the launcher and what it hosts, see the IRONICS page.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• PlayStation: How to use PlayStation Remote Play on PC and Mac
• Xbox: Xbox Remote Play
• Xbox Support: How to set up remote play
• Xbox: Xbox app for Windows PC
• Elgato: HDCP and Elgato Game Capture devices
• ConsoleTuner: Titan Two