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can I use iMac as display for ps5?
- Thread starter apostatis
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Nope, sadly not it’s not like the older iMacs that you could use in target display mode.
@hg.wells is correct that you cannot use your Late 2013 iMac as a display for your PS5 using Target Display Mode, but I will expand on what iMacs are capable of using Target Display Mode, and with what devices for anyone else that is looking for help with this.
For 27" iMacs:
The Late 2009 and Mid 2010 iMacs can use Target Display Mode with any device that is capable of outputting via Display Port or Mini Display Port. This includes non Apple devices. Not sure if this method could be use with an active HDMI to DP adapter or not.
The Mid 2011 to Late 2013 iMacs can use Target Display Mode with only Macs with Thunderbolt 1, 2, or 3, excluding the M1 and up Macs.
For 21" iMacs:
The Mid 2011 to Mid 2014 iMacs can use Target Display Mode with only Macs with Thunderbolt 1, 2, or 3, excluding the M1 and up Macs.
With the introduction of the 4K and 5K iMacs, there was a technical limitation in the TB2 HW preventing Target Display Mode from working, so Apple abandoned it. When TB3 wa introduced, the technical limitation was no longer a factor, and Apple could have reintroduced TDM with the start of the TB3 iMacs, but chose not to for some reason.
There are SW alternatives, such as using the built-in screen sharing, if going from Mac to Mac, or using the third part SW, Luna Display, but this probably wouldn't help the OP's scenario.
For 27" iMacs:
The Late 2009 and Mid 2010 iMacs can use Target Display Mode with any device that is capable of outputting via Display Port or Mini Display Port. This includes non Apple devices. Not sure if this method could be use with an active HDMI to DP adapter or not.
The Mid 2011 to Late 2013 iMacs can use Target Display Mode with only Macs with Thunderbolt 1, 2, or 3, excluding the M1 and up Macs.
For 21" iMacs:
The Mid 2011 to Mid 2014 iMacs can use Target Display Mode with only Macs with Thunderbolt 1, 2, or 3, excluding the M1 and up Macs.
With the introduction of the 4K and 5K iMacs, there was a technical limitation in the TB2 HW preventing Target Display Mode from working, so Apple abandoned it. When TB3 wa introduced, the technical limitation was no longer a factor, and Apple could have reintroduced TDM with the start of the TB3 iMacs, but chose not to for some reason.
There are SW alternatives, such as using the built-in screen sharing, if going from Mac to Mac, or using the third part SW, Luna Display, but this probably wouldn't help the OP's scenario.
Okay; thinking outside of the box... there might be one more thing. (ahem)
You could possibly use a video input adapter to pipe the output from (almost) any video source into (almost) any computer. Thing is, I was hesitant to suggest it for a couple of reasons. 1) Due to changing standards and so-called "anti-piracy" measures, it's possible that current adapters might not be supported by the PS5, and 2) if it does work, it may introduce a slightly larger lag than usual to your video output. For most purposes any such lag would be imperceptible and of no consequences, but for fast paced multiplayer video games, the extra twenty or thirty milliseconds delay could possibly be the difference between winning and losing your game.
If those stipulations don't dissuade you from further investigation... here is one of the cheaper examples of what I'm talking about: Video Capture Card - HDMI to USB C
(Note that the listing mentions 4K... that's only 4K in, not 4K out; it only renders 1080p to the screen. There might be a true 4K adapter out there somewhere, but I honestly didn't search long enough to find it.)
You could possibly use a video input adapter to pipe the output from (almost) any video source into (almost) any computer. Thing is, I was hesitant to suggest it for a couple of reasons. 1) Due to changing standards and so-called "anti-piracy" measures, it's possible that current adapters might not be supported by the PS5, and 2) if it does work, it may introduce a slightly larger lag than usual to your video output. For most purposes any such lag would be imperceptible and of no consequences, but for fast paced multiplayer video games, the extra twenty or thirty milliseconds delay could possibly be the difference between winning and losing your game.
If those stipulations don't dissuade you from further investigation... here is one of the cheaper examples of what I'm talking about: Video Capture Card - HDMI to USB C
(Note that the listing mentions 4K... that's only 4K in, not 4K out; it only renders 1080p to the screen. There might be a true 4K adapter out there somewhere, but I honestly didn't search long enough to find it.)
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So that's why when my mini was playing up I couldn't get target disk to work on my imac
I thought the mini had packed up . Obviously not
I thought the mini had packed up . Obviously not
I'm not completely certain that I understood your vernacular... but Target Disk Mode and Target Display Mode are two entirely separate features that just happen to have similar names. Target Display Mode is no longer supported on current systems, as Juicy noted above -- but as far as I'm aware, Target Disk Mode is still supported on pretty much all current and recent Macs... and by recent, I mean going back for over a decade. Of course, you would probably want to make sure that the two Macs you're using are running the same version of macOS for it to work as seamlessly as possible.