Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • AI
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • VPN
  • More
    • Cameras
    • Home
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
    • Best
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • Back to school
  • Nintendo Switch 2
  • Best VPN
  • ChatGPT
  • NYT Wordle today
  • Best laptop
  • Best web hosting
Recommended reading
An LG TV displaying Xbox games
Televisions Your TV is now an Xbox: LG displays can now cloud stream Game Pass games without a console
Render of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X
Windows Microsoft's 'if you can't beat them, join them' approach to the threat of Steam in the new Xbox PC app is a great idea
deal page for fire tv stick 4k and game pass ultimate
Seasonal Sales Jeff Bezos might single-handedly destroy Xbox console sales with this bargain Fire TV Stick 4K Prime Day gaming bundle
an image of the ROG Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally
Gaming Move over Nintendo Switch 2 – Microsoft has revealed the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X
Marcus inspects a dogtag around Kait's neck
Xbox One Best Xbox One games: top titles to play in 2025
Black Knight and Cuddle Team Leader glide into Tilted Towers
Consoles & PC Best crossplay games 2025
Windows 11 showing Edge extensions in the new Microsoft Store
Gaming PCs Steam could be coming to the Microsoft Store – here’s what that could mean for you
  1. Gaming
  2. Consoles & PC
  3. PC Gaming

How to play Xbox One games on a PC

How-to
By Alex Cox published 14 April 2016

Stream Xbox

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Play Xbox on your PC

Play Xbox on your PC

Microsoft is, behind the scenes, pulling its various devices closer together. Windows Phone, Windows 10 itself, and even the Xbox One now all share bits and pieces of code between them.

This means apps designed for one device should, one day, work perfectly with another. Because of the shared components (and some technical wizardry) you can stream games over your network from your Xbox to your Windows 10 computer.

It's a perfect thing to do if you're fighting for control of the living room TV, or you want to play games on a device without an HDMI port – I've used this to play games on an older VGA-only projector, for example, and you could make use of an old laptop or monitor to take your games anywhere.

If you've just got an Xbox One, check out our video on how to set it up.

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
1. Begin set up

1. Begin set up

To begin streaming Xbox One games to your PC, start by lining up your kit. You'll need Windows 10, as this won't work with any other operating system and your Xbox One will be need to have the latest updates.

Make sure both devices are hooked up to the same local network; without some very complicated network re-routing there's no way to play your games from a remote location, and even if you, could your inputs would be delayed.

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
2. Get connected

2. Get connected

If possible, wire both machines to your network with an ethernet cable – Xbox One game streaming works over Wi-Fi, but you may have to drop the quality to compensate for its slower speeds.

A (fast) powerline networking kit will do the trick if your devices are a long way from your router, but we'd recommend trying game streaming over Wi-Fi before making the investment.

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
3. Xbox on

3. Xbox on

Boot up your Xbox One and log into your Xbox Live account. You may have to enter your password or PIN to do this.

Now hit Left on your controller's D-pad until the console's vertical menu appears (don't press too many times), then press Down until you've highlighted the cog icon, hit Left, and select 'All settings' to get to the main Xbox preferences window.

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
4. Start streaming

4. Start streaming

The streaming options are in the Preferences section. So head there, hit A on the Xbox One's gamepad, and select Game DVR & Streaming.

Make sure 'Allow game streaming to other devices' is ticked – it may be by default, but older consoles may not have this option automatically enabled, as it's a relatively recent addition that accompanied the release of Windows 10.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
5. Auto sign-in

5. Auto sign-in

Although your Xbox One is set up to stream, it will only work when you are signed into your account – this is not always convenient if someone else is using the TV at the time. Go to the Account menu, choose 'Sign-in, security and passkey', and select the 'Instant sign-in' option.

Choose 'Use instant sign-in', and your Xbox will be ready to stream to your PC as soon as you switch it on.

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
6. Get the app

6. Get the app

You'll access your Xbox One through the Windows 10 Xbox app. We've come across machines that don't include it, so in this case use the Store app and search for 'Xbox' to download it.

It's worth accessing the Store and installing updates anyway, as you'll need to make sure you have the very latest version in order to connect to your Xbox One successfully.

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
7. Log in

7. Log in

Run the Xbox app, select 'Sign In', and you'll be asked for your Xbox Live login details. These will need to match the account used on your Xbox One, and the details you use to log into Windows 10.

You can sign into the app independently, but we've found this doesn't always work. An alternative is to set up a new Windows 10 user account and sign in with your Xbox Live details.

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
8. Time to stream!

8. Time to stream!

From the main interface of the Xbox app, select 'connect' and choose your Xbox One in the list that appears. Once connected, you'll be given the option in the main menu of the Xbox app to stream, or you can choose to launch a game from the list and jump right into the action.

Plug in an Xbox 360 controller, or switch on your Xbox One wireless controller.

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
9. Quality control

9. Quality control

Depending on the speed of your network you may run into problems at this point, as streaming live video and audio can be quite intensive. If you're experiencing stuttering issues, you can lower the streaming quality by moving your mouse to the top right icon on the app and selecting a different setting.

Even 'low' gives acceptable graphics, so see what works for you.

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
10. Time to play!

10. Time to play!

You're all lined up and ready to go, playing Xbox One games wherever you are in the house. The next step is using your Xbox to stream your gaming to viewers on twitch.tv – you'll find the options you need in the preferences section. But don't expect to stream over the internet and to your PC at the same time, unless you've got a supremely capable network set-up at home.

  • Enjoyed this article? Get more tutorials, guides, and tips on how to get the most from your Apple devices inside MacFormat. Take advantage of an exclusive offer in our sampler today.
Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
TOPICS
Xbox Windows 10
Alex Cox
Read more
An LG TV displaying Xbox games
Your TV is now an Xbox: LG displays can now cloud stream Game Pass games without a console
Render of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X
Microsoft's 'if you can't beat them, join them' approach to the threat of Steam in the new Xbox PC app is a great idea
deal page for fire tv stick 4k and game pass ultimate
Jeff Bezos might single-handedly destroy Xbox console sales with this bargain Fire TV Stick 4K Prime Day gaming bundle
an image of the ROG Xbox Ally X and Xbox Ally
Move over Nintendo Switch 2 – Microsoft has revealed the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X
Marcus inspects a dogtag around Kait's neck
Best Xbox One games: top titles to play in 2025
Black Knight and Cuddle Team Leader glide into Tilted Towers
Best crossplay games 2025
Latest in PC Gaming
Leon S Kennedy, Evelyn Parker, and Isaac Clarke
Steam Summer Sale is even better than I thought – here are the most worthwhile deals
Resident Evil 4 remake, Indiana Jones, and Cyberpunk 2077
Steam's Summer Sale is on the way – and here are the games I'm expecting major discounts for
Cover art for Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade is a prime example of how PC ports should be done – ultrawide compatibility and stable performance are a must
Angry PC gamer sitting at a gaming desktop PC and losing
Steam's new in-game overlay offers some useful upgrades - and I'm particularly happy about one that exposes a controversial AI trick
A person streaming a PC game onto a handheld gaming device using Razer PC Remote Play.
Razer PC Remote Play lets you stream games to your iPhone – and it could convince me to switch from my gaming PC
Image of Naoe in AC Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows is hands-down one of the most beautiful PC ports I've ever seen
Latest in How Tos
Gabriel Book (Mark Gatiss) riding an old-fashioned London bus in Bookish season 1
How to watch Bookish season 1 online from anywhere
The South Park characters in a line
How to watch South Park season 27 online and from anywhere
PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND - JULY 16: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland looks on during a practice round prior to The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on July 16, 2025 in Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
British Open 2025 live stream: how to watch the golf online, schedule, Round 1 tee times
Kevin Vauquelin of France and Team Arkea - B&B Hotels attacks climbing the Cote d'Outreau
Watch Tour de France LIVE: Pogacar records dominant Stage 12 win, TV channels, free streams
People wave flags at the Royal Albert Hall in west London on September 7, 2013 during the last night of the Proms. US conductor Marin Alsop became the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms in its 118-year history. AFP PHOTO/CARL COURT (Photo credit should read CARL COURT/AFP via Getty Images)
How to watch First Night of the Proms 2025: live stream for free online from anywhere
MLB All-Star Game Logo
How to watch MLB All-Star Game 2025 — watch baseball online from anywhere
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. 1
    OpenAI claims the new ChatGPT agent can run your errands, build your slides, and make you look like you have your life together
  2. 2
    Chinese hackers hit Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing in spear phishing campaign
  3. 3
    Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for as little as $149.99 when you trade in your old smartwatch
  4. 4
    Pico's next XR headset could be lighter and smaller than ever, but I hope it just skips to AR glasses instead
  5. 5
    Status Audio's new 3-driver wireless earbuds have us very excited – they could be the perfected version of some nearly-genius buds

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...