Pixel 8 series can broadcast video to external device via USB-C, contrary to what Google says

Published On: October 17, 2023

Highlights

The Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are said to support DisplayPort output.
A prominent techie has verified the results and shared the details.
However, Google has not included this feature in the new Pixel 8 series.

The Google Pixel 8 series has been verified to have DisplayPort Alternate Mode (DP Alt Mode) support. This indicates that the newly announced Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones are equipped with a USB-C port that can send DisplayPort signals and broadcast video to external display devices through a USB-C connection. Here are the details.

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Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro support DisplayPort output

Mishaal Rahman, a prominent techie, verified the results by sharing a video in which a Pixel 8 Pro was connected to a display with the assistance of a tester. This comes after the tech giant initially stated to Android Authority that these phones did not have this feature. However, it appears that the function is deactivated through software on the new Pixels.

Update: Almost immediately after I published this article, my second tester with a Pixel 8 Pro on the Android 14 QPR1 beta says they got display output to work for them after using a USB-C to HDMI adapter and a different monitor. The plot thickens! pic.twitter.com/go3ewUzpls
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 15, 2023

On X (formerly Twitter), Rahmaan showed that he had proposed a method for making display output possible over USB-C by modifying settings on a rooted Pixel 8. The process is effective when using specific USB-C cables and compatible monitors or other displays. The tester who succeeded in this process utilised a USB-C-to-USB-C cable known for its compatibility with DisplayPort.

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As per reports, it is not clear why the tech giant has not officially turned on DisplayPort on the new Pixels, considering the hardware can handle it. The new iPhone 15 series can send 4K HDR video to an external display using DisplayPort. The tech giant could have done the same, but they might be working on making it flawless before enabling the feature.

In addition to the DisplayPort feature on the Pixel 8, Google eliminated several useful features that were present on the device until the last moment. The company likely removed the Pixel 8 desktop mode, the ability to record 8K videos, and the option to record slow-motion videos at 720p and 480 frames per second at the last minute.