How To Stream an Xbox One to a PC

Lee Stanton July 26, 2021

Before we get into the steps, we need to clarify something first. Streaming can refer to two things;

Normally, when a person talks about streaming, they’re referring to streaming footage of them playing a video game to a platform, such as YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook. Most of the time, this requires a capture card in the case of a console or NVIDIA ShadowPlay on a PC.

For our guide, we’ll be talking about the second, less common definition. This involves sending the gameplay from your Xbox One to the PC. You’re effectively using your PC to play Xbox One games through a connection to the same network.

You don’t need to physically connect the two devices, but being connected to the same network is crucial. As your PC becomes a remote display, there’s always some lag, but it’s still a reliable way to play your Xbox One games on your PC.

Prepare Your Xbox for Streaming

Before you can stream your favorite games from Xbox One to PC, you’ll need to prepare the former. It’s not hard and the process only takes a few minutes. After these steps, you’ll be able to enjoy games on your PC.

Here are the preliminary steps before you can stream your Xbox One games to PC:

Turn your Xbox One on.
Press the Xbox button.
Go to “Profile & System” which is represented by your icon.
Find the settings.
In the settings menu, select “Devices & Streaming.”
Locate “Device Connections.”
Finally, select “Allow Game Streaming to Other Devices.”

With these steps done, your Xbox One is ready to use your PC as a remote display. This is where the next set of instructions come in.

Connect Your PC to the Xbox One to Allow for Streaming

With your Xbox One settings out of the way, you can move to your PC. All Windows 10 PCs come with the Xbox One Companion app, as was the case before Windows 10. If you somehow don’t have it, you can get it from the Microsoft store here.

To set up your computer to accept streams from the Xbox One, follow these steps:

From your search bar, locate the Xbox One Companion app.
Select and launch the app.
On the left side, from the icon that looks like a tiny Xbox One, choose “Connection.”
Find the name of your Xbox.
Select “Connect.”
After you do this, your Xbox One Companion app will connect to your console as long as it’s active.

If you’re having trouble finding your console’s name, here’s how to find it.

Press the Xbox button.
Go to “Profile & System” which is represented by your icon.
Find the settings.
Select “System.”
You will find your console name in “Console Info.”

Another way to connect both devices is to use the Xbox’s IP address. You typically won’t use this method, but if nothing else works, it just might let you connect your PC to your Xbox One.

Press the Xbox button.
Go to “Profile & System” which is represented by your icon.
Find the settings.
Choose “General.”
Go to the network settings.
Finally, select “Advanced Settings.”

Stream Xbox One Games to Your PC

Once you’ve done all of the above, you’re ready to play games. If you haven’t launched the Xbox One Companion app yet, make sure you do that. Without it, you won’t be able to stream the games to your PC.

Launch the Xbox One Companion app on your PC.
Go to the Connection area.
Click “Stream” to show the Xbox One’s home screen.
Now you can pick a game to play on your PC.

Once you’re done playing, you must press Esc to stop streaming. Alternatively, you can use your mouse and click a button to do that. There are also other options such as turning your mic on and bandwidth information that you can access by moving your mouse and selecting the screens.

Additional FAQs

How do I fix a lag when streaming from my Xbox to my PC?

Lag is bad for everyone, and gamers are bitter enemies of internet lag. It messes up aim, causes people to fall to their doom, and even forces players to disconnect, which might earn them a temporary ban from certain games.

To fix lag, you have a few options, such as:

• Turn off other apps and downloads while playing

Apps like YouTube, Netflix, and Twitch severely affect internet performance, as they take up a lot of bandwidth. If you want a smooth connection, we recommend you only run the game and any other essential apps

• Upgrade or add another router

Routers get overwhelmed, which is why a stronger model or adding another one in the home can help reduce lag. Routers need to process requests and having too many of them results in lag.

• Check if there’s malware

Sometimes, your computer might have some malware that’s slowing things down. Windows Defender or antivirus software can easily root it out and delete it. This usually helps with network speeds.

• Restart your router

Sometimes, all you need is to restart the router. Refreshing the connection often helps eliminate lag and improve latency.

Can I also stream to my phone or tablet devices?

You can stream Xbox One to your mobile devices. All you need to do is to install Xbox Remote Play on your phone or tablet. Alternatively, if you have a Windows 10 mobile device, you can just install the Xbox One Companion app. Both methods allow you to play games on your mobile device over the internet.

Similarly, you need to be connected to the same network, or else the apps won’t work.

You Can Take the TV, I’ll Use My Computer

Now that you know how to stream Xbox One games to your PC, you don’t have to hog the big TV when the others watch movies. Your gaming PC or even mobile devices can support streaming. It might not be ideal, but it works very well with a good internet connection.

Have you encountered any strange bugs when you stream this way? Which are your favorite Xbox One titles? Let us know in the comments section below.