Host content is received from a host device coupled to an external display device. The host content is displayed on the external display device when an orientation state of the external display device is a first orientation state. Change of the orientation state from the first orientation state to a second orientation state is detected, e.g., with a sensor. Orientation data corresponding to the second orientation state is transmitted to the host device. Host content, which has been transformed by a rendering pipeline configured at the host device based on the transmitted orientation data corresponding to the second orientation state, is received from the host device. The transformed host content is displayed on the external display device in response to the orientation state of the display device being changed to the second orientation state. In other embodiments, the display may be updated continuously during the orientation change.