Can I Connect My Xbox To My Laptop? Solved!
If you are interested in streaming and recording your game play, you might want to know if you can connect your Xbox to your laptop. Though playing games on an Xbox can be very user-friendly, it can be easier to use your laptop’s software and other features to overlay graphics, integrate chats, and perform other tasks related to streaming your game play.
Table of Contents
How do you connect your Xbox to your laptop?
You can connect your Xbox to your laptop to stream games if you have Microsoft’s Windows operating system running on it. You will need to connect your Xbox and laptop to the same network to run games locally, or you can use Xbox Play Anywhere to play certain Xbox games with your laptop online.
As someone that enjoys controlling games with a keyboard and mouse, I can appreciate the ability to play my favorite Xbox games on a laptop. However, though some games can be streamed to your computer, they might only work with a gaming controller.
Whether you prefer playing Xbox games through a laptop or directly from an Xbox, it’s nice to have the option to stream gameplay with multiple methods. We’ll go over some reasons why it’s good to connect your Xbox to your laptop and walk you through how to get it done.
How Can I Connect My Xbox To My Laptop?
The main things you will need to connect your Xbox to your laptop are an Xbox console and a laptop computer with the Windows operating system.
If you want to play Xbox games through Xbox Play Anywhere, you should have the Windows 10 operating system installed on your laptop.
To ensure maximum compatibility with games available through Xbox Play Anywhere, be sure to have the latest update of Windows 10 installed along with the latest system software for your Xbox console.
We will first go over how to directly connect your Xbox to your laptop using your local network.
Connect Your Xbox To Your Laptop Using A Local Network
A simple and low-cost way to connect an Xbox to a laptop is to use a local network.
You can wirelessly connect each device to your network, but your game stream should be faster if you use Ethernet cables or other wired high-speed network connectors.
Using one wired connection and one wireless connection may have better results than having two wireless connections.
You shouldn’t worry too much if you decide to go with two wireless connections, because there may ultimately be little to no noticeable lag in the resulting game stream.
Keep in mind that stream lags and other gaming performance issues can be affected by other factors such as your network speed and the technical complexity of the game.
If there is a ton of action occurring on the screen, that can put more load on the Xbox, which can cause lags and other gaming performance issues.
After you connect your Xbox and laptop to your local network, here are the next things you need to do:
- Connect an Xbox controller to your Xbox console.
- At the top middle of the controller, press the Xbox button to load the Xbox guide on the screen.
- Above the Home tab at the top right, select the Profile & system tab. It’s the tab that has your profile image.
- Select Settings.
- Select Devices & connections.
- On the right, select Remote features.
- Select Xbox app preferences.
- Under the Xbox app section, select Allow connections from any device. If you prefer, you can select Only from profiles signed in on this Xbox.
- Under the This Xbox section, check Allow game streaming to other devices.
- You will then need to connect an Xbox controller to your Xbox console.
You can connect the controller wirelessly by using Bluetooth or with a wire by connecting to the USB port on your laptop.
To connect an Xbox controller wirelessly, follow these steps:
- Go to the system tray at the bottom right of the Windows screen and right-click on the Bluetooth icon.
- Select Add a Bluetooth Device.
- On your Xbox controller, locate the sync button at the top and hold it down until you see the Xbox logo flashing.
- Your Xbox controller should now be detectable to your laptop.
- On your laptop, open Bluetooth & other devices by typing “Bluetooth” in the Windows search field at the bottom left of the Windows screen. The search field has a magnifying glass icon.
- Once you are in Bluetooth & other devices, select Add Bluetooth or other devices.
- Follow the steps displayed on the screen to add the Xbox controller to your laptop.
- If you do not have a wireless Xbox controller or cannot connect via Bluetooth for some reason, you should plug a controller into your Xbox via the micro-USB connector at the top of the controller.
After the controller is connected to your laptop, continue with the following steps:
- Load the Xbox Console Companion app on your laptop. The app should be installed with Windows, but you can also download and install it for free from the Microsoft Store.
- On the left side of the app, select the console icon that appears towards the bottom of the screen.
- In the next screen that appears, select the Xbox console you want to use to stream your games. A short confirmation message will be displayed once your Xbox is connected to your laptop.
- When you are ready to stream your games to your laptop, select the Stream button and start playing your Xbox games.
If you have multiple Xbox consoles on your local network and need to distinguish them for game streaming, you can locate the name of each Xbox console by doing the following:
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Xbox guide on the screen.
- Select Profile & system.
- Select Settings.
- Select System.
- Select Console info.
You can locate your Xbox console’s IP address by doing the following:
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Xbox guide on the screen.
- Select Profile & system.
- Select Settings.
- Select General.
- Select Network settings.
- Select Advanced settings.
Play Xbox Games On Your Laptop Through Xbox Play Anywhere
Instead of connecting your Xbox to your laptop to play Xbox games, you can play select Xbox games online with your laptop through Xbox Play Anywhere.
Using Xbox Play Anywhere doesn’t require any direct device connections between your Xbox console and laptop.
You just need to buy a game that is available through Xbox Play Anywhere.
You can browse and search for compatible games on the Xbox Play Anywhere website.
These games can be played seamlessly on both your Xbox console and Windows 10 laptop.
Your game play will be synced, so you can start your games on one device and continue it on a different device.
By playing Xbox games on your laptop, you will have access to your laptop’s streaming, recording, and media-enhancing features.
You can stream, record, and edit more robust game play videos to be posted online for the public to view.
If you don’t want to post your gaming videos publicly, you can enjoy the recordings yourself or share them with family and friends.
Keep in mind that some games on Xbox Play Anywhere may not be capable of being played with a keyboard and mouse, so you should verify whether they can or not before buying the games.
Otherwise, you should be able to play all games with a standard Xbox controller connected to your laptop.