Xbox One HDMI Passthrough Allows Gamers to Play PS4 and Wii U Simultaneously on Screen
Microsoft confirmed that the Wii U and Playstation 4 will be playable through their Xbox One using the HDMI passthrough cable.
The HDMI cable was originally intended to be a link between cable boxes, DVD players, and any number of HDMI input electronics, that includes other consoles.
While Microsoft shied away from the speculation at first, an executive for the company, Jeff Henshaw, admitted the truth to Penny Arcade Report. He also said because of the high level of activity between having two consoles hooked up, there would be a small amount of unnoticeable lag time.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Since multiple console hook up is possible, a gamer could even have both playing games at the same time using the "Snap" feature, an app that allows for multiple programs to run on the screen at once. A user could then potentially have the PS4 playing on a split screen with the Xbox One.
"Any application can be snapped to a game … this could be the live TV feed, so if you wanted to be playing Ryse and Killzone at the same time, you could snap that," Albert Penello of Microsoft said last month.
Microsoft also just announced that the Xbox One will not be able to function without the day one update and would virtually be "useless."
"[Xbox One] will be able to do very little without taking the day one update," said Penello. In fact, when asked what it will be able to do, he said "nothing."
According to CNET, Microsoft announced back in the summer that the Xbox One would require a day one update, however, it was unknown that the console would be absolutely useless unless this update was downloaded.
The Xbox One is set for a Nov. 22 release in the U.S. and retail for $499.99.
