Guide · Hardware
Screen mirroring without a capture card.
You don't need a capture card to get your phone on a Windows PC. Ocuulo Mirror does it in software over a USB cable or Wi‑Fi — up to 2K with synced audio, recordable, and usable as an OBS source. No HDMI adapter, no dongle, nothing extra to buy.
Quick answer
A capture card converts an HDMI signal into a PC video source. A phone doesn't need that: Ocuulo Mirror reads the phone's own screen over USB or Wi‑Fi, carries the audio with it, and shows it on the PC. Plug in, mirror, done.
The two ways to get a phone on a PC
With a capture card
- An HDMI adapter for the phone, an HDMI cable, and the card itself
- Sound comes along in the HDMI signal, through the same adapter and card
- Picture goes through an HDMI conversion
- Another box, another cable, another driver
With Ocuulo Mirror (software)
- One USB cable — or no cable at all over Wi‑Fi
- Audio and video carried together, kept in sync
- Straight from the phone's own screen capture, up to 2K
- Record to a file, or hand it to OBS, from the same app
How it works, in three steps
- Install Ocuulo Mirror on the Windows PC (Windows 10 or 11) and sign in.
- iPhone: plug in and tap Trust — nothing to install on the phone. Android: install the free companion app, plug in, tap OK, pick Entire screen and Cast. Or connect either one over Wi‑Fi.
- It's on the PC screen with sound. Record it, or send it to OBS.
Questions
Do I need a capture card to mirror my phone to a PC?
No. Ocuulo Mirror mirrors an iPhone, iPad or Android phone to a Windows PC entirely in software, over a USB cable or your own Wi‑Fi network. There is no capture card, HDMI adapter, dongle or extra hardware to buy.
What does a capture card do that software mirroring replaces?
A capture card takes a video signal from an HDMI cable and turns it into a video source on the PC; the HDMI signal carries the phone's sound along with the picture. For a phone that means an HDMI adapter on the phone, an HDMI cable and the card. Software mirroring reads the phone's screen and sound directly over USB or Wi‑Fi and keeps them in sync, so the adapter, the cable and the card are no longer needed.
Is the quality worse without a capture card?
With Ocuulo Mirror you get up to 2K — up to 120FPS on Android and 60FPS on iPhone — with synced audio, measured on our hardware. The picture comes straight from the phone's own screen capture rather than through an HDMI conversion.
Can I still use the mirrored phone in OBS without a capture card?
Yes. Ocuulo Mirror can hand the live phone screen to OBS Studio as a virtual camera or window source, so it works as a feed in a stream or recording with no capture hardware.
When would I still want a capture card?
For sources that only output HDMI — a games console, a camera with an HDMI out, or a second PC. For a phone or tablet, software mirroring over USB or Wi‑Fi covers the job without the hardware.
Performance figures are measured on our hardware. Your results depend on your device, your PC and — for wireless — your network.