How to connect the Xbox to the PC
You are a happy Xbox owner and, recently, having to create a new gaming station where both the PC and the Microsoft console are present, you have begun to wonder if and what are the possibilities of interaction between these two devices. In short, you would like to know if and how to connect the Xbox to the PC , and therefore you have looked for a guide suitable for this purpose.
That’s the way it is, right? Then let us tell you that you are in the right place! In today’s tutorial, in fact, I will show you how it is possible to make Xbox and PC interact by sharing the monitor but also focusing on various programs and devices that allow you to use and manage the Microsoft console from a computer.
What do you say? Are you curious to find out more and to create your own little home gaming “ecosystem”? Yup? Come on then, below you can find the indications that will lead you directly to your goal. That said, there is nothing left for me to do, except wish you good reading and have fun!
Index
- Preliminary information
- How to connect Xbox to PC with HDMI cable
- How to manage Xbox from PC
- How to play Xbox games on PC
- How to connect Xbox controllers to PC
Preliminary information
Before going into the details of the procedure on how to connect the Xbox to the PC , I think it may interest you to know more about the general situation.
Well, there are several ways to connect the Microsoft console to the computer. Generally this will comes from wanting to keep both your gaming PC and your console in the same location. The desire is therefore to connect the Xbox to the same computer monitor.
However, you should know that there are also other possibilities related to the integration between Xbox and PC. On the other hand, Microsoft has been building a unified ecosystem for these two platforms for some time now. I remind you, in fact, that the Redmond company also produces the Windows operating system , which animates the vast majority of computers and all gaming computers.
In this regard, Microsoft has developed programs that allow you to manage the Xbox and play its titles directly from your computer . In any case, don’t worry if you are not very familiar with the subject: in this tutorial I will show you all the possibilities you have in this regard.
Just a small clarification before starting: to make this guide I will use an Xbox Series S , but in reality the procedures that I will show you are feasible for all Microsoft consoles. For example, if you are wondering how to connect Xbox One to PC , in this tutorial you should still find the solutions that are right for you.
How to connect Xbox to PC with HDMI cable
Having explained the general situation to you, I would say that it is time to take action. Let’s start, therefore, from the procedure for connecting Xbox to the PC with an HDMI cable .
In the case of desktop PCs , it’s really a no-brainer. To proceed, simply connect the console to the monitor you also use for your computer via an HDMI cable . Put simply, everything happens as if it were a TV. You take the HDMI cable out of the Xbox and connect to its monitor port , usually located on the back.
Typically, gamers using both consoles and PCs in the same location have monitors with multiple HDMI ports , so they don’t have too much trouble doing this. If, on the other hand, you do not have this type of product available, you might consider buying a special adapter , perhaps from HDMI to VGA / DVI .
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Unfortunately, I cannot go into more detail, since there are myriads of solutions and therefore it is difficult for me to provide you with precise indications for your specific monitor. However, I can give you some information regarding the HDMI cable to use for the connection.
In fact, I remind you that the ninth generation consoles, so in this case Xbox Series X , are able to support 4K / 120fps resolution (Xbox Series S can reach 120 fps, but with a lower resolution). To reach this level, however, in addition to configuring the console correctly, it is necessary to have both a suitable monitor and a high-speed HDMI 2.1 cable .
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This possibility is actually still very limited on the monitor side, as there are few with HDMI 2.1 functionality. However, starting from 2021 the main manufacturers, from Asus to LG , have started announcing monitors designed specifically for the latest generation consoles, so I wanted to let you know about this possibility. If you want to learn more, you can consult Microsoft’s official guidelines .
If, on the other hand, you are wondering how to connect the Xbox to the laptop PC , unfortunately I must inform you that, in general, the HDMI port of notebooks is an output , designed to “duplicate” the video stream of the computer on an external display, and not a ‘input to use the notebook monitor to play streams from other devices.
This means that it is not possible to connect the console to the laptop via HDMI . In these cases, however, you may be interested in investigating the question of capture cards , since the latter allow you to connect the console to the PC, both desktop and laptop, capture the video / audio stream and display them on the computer (even if with a few milliseconds of delay).
Capture cards are typically used by streamers to capture gameplay coming from consoles in real time and broadcast it live, I also told you about it in my guide on how to stream on Twitch from Xbox .
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Well, by connecting a capture card to your Xbox and PC, you could use the latter to stream the video / audio of the console to the PC and play from it (using the console pad, as the games themselves will continue to be performed by the Xbox and not by the computer).
As already mentioned, this is a solution valid only for titles that do not involve frenetic actions, as the display of the contents on the PC screen will have a few milliseconds of delay compared to the classic connection to a screen via HDMI. Then don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!
How to manage Xbox from PC
If you’re planning to manage your Xbox experience right from your PC, this part of the guide is for you. In fact, I’m going to tell you how to use the Xbox Console Companion program .
Available for Windows 10 and in some cases already pre-installed on your computer (alternatively you can download it from the Microsoft Store ), this application allows you to do practically everything, from managing the activity feed to accessing screenshots uploaded to Xbox Live , passing through friend requests , achievements , clip viewing , access to the Microsoft Store, and more.
Once you have started the application and logged in if necessary, you can access all the features of the case by pressing on the appropriate icons on the left. Much can be done from the Xbox Console Companion, including redeeming , for example, Microsoft Store titles “gifted” with Xbox Live Gold membership .
Obviously, the download will then be carried out automatically when you turn on the console and it will be connected to the Internet. For the rest, if you want, for example, to take a look at the objectives of the games you have unlocked, just click on the trophy icon to access the appropriate section.
To make you better understand how many features are available, there is even the possibility of transmitting the video stream of the console to the PC , in order to use it directly from the latter.
To use this feature, just click on the console icon on the left, turn on the Xbox and select it from the list that appears on the computer screen. Clearly, both devices must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network to be able to find each other and you must be sure you are using a compatible PC (at least 2GB of RAM, CPU 1.5 GHz or faster, good Wi-Fi connection and controller Xbox configured ). Finally, all you have to do is click on the Play Stream button .
If the latter does not work, the reason is probably to be found in some configuration “problem”. Go to the console, go to Settings> Devices and connection> Remote features and check the Enable remote features box .
For the rest, in case of any doubts about the procedure, I suggest you also consult the official Microsoft guidelines .
How to play Xbox games on PC
You’ve probably already heard of Xbox Game Pass , the subscription that gives you access to a vast catalog of video games for a monthly fee. Well, you should know that, by virtue of the ecosystem that Microsoft is creating, the Redmond company has created a version of the subscription designed for the PC .
The latter costs 9.99 euros per month (with often initial free trial periods for new users) and allows access to a good number of titles, including some games associated with Xbox. For example, the catalog also includes Gears Tactics , a title developed by Xbox Game Studios. In short, in a sense nowadays it is possible to play certain Xbox games on PC even without necessarily having a console.
In any case, you should know that the Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription is only compatible with Windows 10 . Also keep in mind that the catalog for computers may vary from what is available for consoles.
For the rest, if you have decided to subscribe to this subscription, to proceed just connect to the official Microsoft website and click on the DOWNLOAD APP button , in order to have the latest version of the Xbox client. Then, start the XboxInstaller.exe file obtained, check the box linked to license terms and conditions and press the INSTALL button first and then the Yes button .
By doing so, you have successfully installed the client to access Xbox Game Pass from PC. The program will eventually ask you to log in with your Microsoft account . Once you do this, first click on the button BEGIN and then on the TAKE ME TO THE GAMES . This will take you to the catalog of PC titles.
If you want some advice, it is better to press the ALL GAMES button , in order to thoroughly analyze the available video games. To download a title, just click on its box , click on the INSTALL button and choose the unit in which to place it.
Therefore, the download of the game will start: the installation will take place automatically and you can monitor the status of the operation using the title icon , which is located on the left. For the rest, once the installation is complete, just press the PLAY button to start having fun.
In any case, I remind you that to run the titles directly on your computer you need a good PC , since it must meet the requirements of the various games .
Unfortunately, the function to play the titles in the cloud is not yet available on PC, but to learn more about the subject I suggest you refer to my guide on how Xbox Game Pass works .
How to connect Xbox controllers to PC
How do you say? Would you like to use the Xbox controller to play on PC ? No problem: I’ll tell you how to do it right away.
Well, in this case you will be happy to know that Xbox controllers are compatible with Windows 10 . However, there are various types of pads: wireless and wired .
The former are usually supplied directly in the console box and can be connected to the PC via Bluetooth or by purchasing a Microsoft wireless adapter .
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Xbox controllers with cable, on the other hand, can be connected without too much trouble to the computer via USB port . In any case, for any doubts you can refer to my tutorial on how to connect the Xbox controller to the PC , in which I have explained everything there is to know on the subject.