How to stream Xbox One games on your Windows PC

Microsoft’s Xbox One consoles and Windows 10 PCs play pretty well together. So well, in fact, that you can stream Xbox One games onto your PC.

Why would you want to do this? Perhaps because you prefer your monitor to your TV. Or maybe your Xbox One is on the other side of the house, and you just want to wirelessly stream to your PC instead of buying a 50-foot HDMI cable to physically link the two together

There is a catch: unlike PlayStation 4’s Remote Play and PS Now, two features that let you stream from anywhere, the Xbox One console and PC need to be on the same network. Still, it’s a pretty cool trick. There are only a few simple steps that you need to get through in order to get your console’s feed sent to your PC.

USE THE XBOX CONSOLE COMPANION APP

• If you have a Windows 10 desktop or laptop, it likely already has the Xbox Console Companion app installed. (This was formerly known as the Xbox app; Microsoft is in the process of transforming it into a more fleshed-out gaming dashboard). You can download the app from the Microsoft Store if it’s not already on your PC.
• Open the app, then sign into your Microsoft account (which is also your Xbox account) when it prompts you to do so.
• Once you’re signed in, click the menu button at the top left-hand side of the Xbox Console Companion app window. It will open a list of items. Click “Connection” near the bottom of that list.
• Click “Add a device” in the top-middle section of the app window. The app will search for an Xbox One console in your network. Click “Connect” once you find your console.
• If your console doesn’t show up, enter its IP address in the appropriate field. Your Xbox One’s IP address can be found by opening up the settings menu on the console, then clicking “Network” > “Network settings” > “Advanced Settings.”
• After you’re connected, your console will show up under the “Now Playing” section in the Xbox Console Companion app. Click it and your PC monitor will show a direct feed from your Xbox One.

FIX LAG ON A WIRELESS NETWORK

As you play on your PC, there may be some lag depending on your Wi-Fi network speeds. One way to speed up a choppy stream is to use Ethernet instead, if that’s an option. You can also use the Xbox Console Companion app to tweak the fidelity of the stream, resulting in a faster-moving picture, although at the expense of image quality.

• To access the drop-down menu, hit the menu button on the top-right part of the display, near the full-screen button.
• If you want to look at the granular details of the stream, like bit rate, bandwidth use, and more, click the button that appears near the bottom left part of the screen.
• I don’t use the Xbox Console Companion app on my PC too often, but it comes in handy when I want to play Xbox at the same time that others prefer to watch something else on the TV. It’s particularly useful for slow-paced games where the speed of your inputs doesn’t come into play, but I found it to be sufficient for games like Asura’s Wrath, which relies on quickly completing events to make progress.