Use Windows Wireless Display to Turn an Old Device into a Secondary Screen

It always feels like there aren't enough monitors for my PC. However, purchasing a new display can be a considerable expense. I have an old Surface 3 sitting around that I rarely use, so why not repurpose it as a secondary screen? But there's a catch: older devices like this Surface 3 only support video output, not input, so I can't connect it directly via a video cable. My next thought was to use a video capture card, which could transfer the PC's screen to the Surface 3 via a USB connection. However, after some research, I found that inexpensive capture cards come with significant lag, while high-quality ones are nearly as costly as a new monitor—hardly worth it. In the end, I opted for the simplest, most affordable solution: using Windows' built-in wireless display feature to transform this old Surface 3 into a secondary screen.

Old Device Configuration

First, we need to install and enable the wireless display feature on the old device. Follow these steps:

1. Open Settings > System.
2. Go to the bottom and open Optional features.
3. Click the View features button at the top right.
4. Search for and select the Wireless Display feature, then click Next.
5. Click Add.
6. Wait for the feature to be added—older devices may install this slowly.
7. Return to the System page, and open Projecting to this PC.
8. Configure the relevant options:
   1. Set Some Windows and Android devices can project to this PC when you say it's OK to Available everywhere on secure networks.
   2. Set Ask to project to this PC to First time only.
   3. Turn off This PC can be discovered for projection only when it's plugged into a power source, though if the old device has poor battery life, it may be better to keep this on and use it plugged in.
9. Click Launch the Wireless Display app to project to this PC at the top.
10. Optionally, pin the Wireless Display app to the taskbar or Start menu for quick access.

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Host Setup

Next, let’s establish a connection with the wireless display on the host device.

1. Open Settings > System > Display.
2. Click to expand the Multiple displays menu under Scale & layout.
3. Click the Connect button next to Connect to a wireless display.
4. In the Cast window that pops up at the bottom right, select the old device to connect.
5. Open the Action Center from the bottom right of the taskbar, scroll down using the mouse wheel, find the Cast button, then left-click and hold to drag it to a more convenient location for quicker access in the future.
6. Click the Cast icon on the right side of the taskbar, check Allow mouse, keyboard, and other input from this device, and you’ll be able to use Surface 3’s touch screen and stylus.

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Notes

• Each time you connect, make sure to first launch the Wireless Display app on the old device, then use the Cast button in the Action Center on the host to connect.
• The Cast button may change to Wired Display.
• If the wireless display has high latency, check the network card driver on the old device. The driver Microsoft automatically installed on my old Surface 3 had bugs, making even browsing difficult. After I manually installed a newer driver, the internet speed became much faster. I even measured over 100 Mbps bandwidth with a speed test tool in the corner of the room, which is more than enough.
• Try to use a 5GHz Wi-Fi connection to reduce latency.
• My host set the refresh rate to 24Hz for the old Surface 3, and I had to manually adjust it to 60Hz under Settings > System > Display > Advanced display settings. However, this setting does not persist, and the refresh rate defaults to 24Hz the next time you connect.