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Orion Turns Your iPad into an External Display
With the launch of iPadOS 17, Apple added a super cool new feature — the iPad can now support USB-C capture cards. From a high-level…
With the launch of iPadOS 17, Apple added a super cool new feature — the iPad can now support USB-C capture cards. From a high-level point of view, this would allow users to connect external cameras to use in the likes of FaceTime. But for those who are creative, it essentially can turn the iPad into an external monitor or display.
I’ve tested a few things with Orion, including connecting my PS5, my Nikon, and my Nintendo Switch. My 12.9-inch iPad Pro becomes an amazing display to play or watch content. For my camera, it serves as a monitor to see what my camera sees while I’m recording myself. Orion does all of that — for free.
Orion is made by the same team that created Halide, my favorite third-party camera app. They say they made this, not only as a camera preview, but because it was fun. If you do opt to pay for Orion, there are a number of cool features. It has a AI powered upscaler to increase resolution up to 4K. This is great if your HDMI adapter only supports 1080P or if you use something like the Switch that is capped at 1080P.
There’s a built in adjustment tool for Orion’s paid users. If you wanna be fun, there are filters to apply to the video that can mimic a retro TV or you can adjust the brightness. The brightness can even go beyond typical peak brightness into the HDR range which helps when previewing your camera out in the sunlight.
I’m really excited not just about what Orion has today, but what Orion will have in the future. The team is constantly updating Halide with new features, including a recent update adding zero-lag shutter and soon HDR support. Orion is poised to be the same, with new features already being thought up to include in upcoming releases. This is a brilliantly well-designed app that’s been speedily released to take advantage of the latest and greatest iPadOS developer tools.
But enough about other people's apps.
