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Xbox One's HDMI Pass-Through Can Connect PS4, PCs and More

Posted by timothy on from the wish-my-laptop-had-hdmi-in dept.

MojoKid writes "The Xbox One has both HDMI-in and HDMI-out capability. The point of HDMI-in is to allow you to hook up a cable box, with output then running from the Xbox One to your television. As it turns out, however, that's not the only thing the Xbox One can do. Since the HDMI-in port is a standard option, it can accept video input from a PS4 and also accept a video stream from a PC. According to Xbox senior director of product management, Albert Panello, "any application can be snapped to a game... this could be the live TV feed, so if you wanted to play Ryse and Killzone (a PS4 exclusive), you could snap that." Keep in mind, snapping a title to the Xbox One doesn't mean that you can actually keep using Xbox One controllers in the game. If you want to snap in a PS4 game, you still need PS4 controllers. If you want to hook a PC into the Xbox One's video output, you still need mouse and keyboard, though if the Xbox One's controllers are eventually PC compatible, then you might be able to use the same controller on both platforms without doing much more than flipping a switch."

5 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. So what. by kamapuaa · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is one of the most trivial articles I've ever seen on Slashdot.
    XBone lets HDMI input pass through it for all sorts of HDMI devices, no just cable boxes.
    So what.

    --
    Slashdot: providing anti-social weirdos a soapbox, since 1997.
    1. Re:So what. by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I still can't decode it. What does "snap" and "snapped to a game" mean?

  2. Re:Can. But shouldn't by lgftsa · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The intent may be to introduce a delay in the other consoles' UI responses.

    When a non-tech user buys a competing console in a year or so, and it's easier for them to daisy-chain it through the xbox than hunt around behind the TV, it may be enough that they tend to play the xbox more than the new console because it's more responsive and gives a better gameplay experience.

    Too paranoid? Check out the cryptographically signed charging cables from Apple, and then try to persuade me otherwise with a straight face. <sardonic grin>

  3. How is this news? by MikeBabcock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How is this even interesting? Anyone with a receiver has had HDMI pass-through for ages now. My Yamaha receiver has HDMI pass-through and switching, why on earth would I want to use the Microsoft version?

    Seriously, there is nearly zero benefit to this (and it sucks more power from the XBOne being turned on while not in use).

    --
    - Michael T. Babcock (Yes, I blog)
  4. This is an amazing feature by Apharmd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    for users who are disappointed that their cable company isn't showing them enough ads. No, but seriously, this feature sucks. You get voice-activated input swapping, but when you go to the Xbone's interface to swap it shows a pane completely bordered by advertisements ala Idiocracy. Who would find such a thing desirable?