How to Get Fortnite on Xbox Series X or S

You can play Fortnite on Xbox Series X or S for free

By

Jeremy Laukkonen

Updated on March 25, 2021

Reviewed by

Ryan Perian

Consoles & PCs

Xbox Buyer's Guide

What to Know

Press the Xbox button on your controller > Store icon > Search icon > Type Fortnite and select it from the results > Select Get or Install.
Fortnite is a free online download. If you see Fortnite being sold in a store, it's just a box with a code for outfits and weapons.
You need an Xbox Live Gold or Game Pass Ultimate, and an Epic Games account to play online.

This article explains the requirements for and how to download and play Fortnite on the Xbox Series X or S.

How to Download Fortnite on Xbox One

Fortnite for Xbox Series X or S is a digital-only game, which means you can’t go out and buy a Fortnite game disc in a store. You can buy v-bucks, the game’s premium currency, in stores, but you don’t need to do that to play the game. To start playing, all you need to do is connect your Xbox Series X or S to the internet and download the game.

If you see Fortnite for sale at a physical store, there is no actual game disc inside. The game itself is free, so what you end up buying is a download code for DLC like outfits, tools, weapons, and v-bucks in-game currency. You would then need to follow the instructions in this article to download and install Fortnite.

Here's how to download and install Fortnite on your Xbox Series X or S:

Turn on your Xbox Series X or S, and make sure it’s connected to the internet.
Log into your Xbox network account if necessary.

If you see your Gamertag and avatar in the upper left corner of the Xbox Series X or S dashboard, that means you’re logged in.
Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide.
Select the Store icon at the bottom of the Guide.
Select the Search icon.
Type Fortnite.
Select Fortnite from the search results.

The Fortnite cover art changes regularly and may not match what you see here. Look for the free option, as the bundles and DLCs that have a price attached are not necessary to download and play the game.
Select Get or Install.
Fortnite will be placed into your download queue.

How to Play Fortnite on Xbox One

Following the previous instructions will place Fortnite into your download queue. If there are other games in the queue already, your Xbox will download those first unless you manually change the order. Once the game has finished downloading, it will be available by opening the Guide and navigating to My games & apps > See all.

If the game doesn’t download, check your internet connection and speed. Your console may also have a full hard drive. In that case, you will need to delete old games or add an external drive to your Xbox Series X or S.

Before you can play Fortnite online, you need to have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription and an Epic Games account. You also need to connect your Epic Games account to your Microsoft account. Your Xbox Live Gold subscription is what allows you to play games online with your Xbox Series X or S, while the Epic Games account allows you to use the same save data wherever you play Fortnite.

What to Do if You Don’t Have Xbox Live Gold

The Xbox network is a service that allows you to play online games with your Xbox consoles. The subscription service is known as Xbox Live Gold, and it’s included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. If you don’t already have Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass, you will need to sign up before you can play Fortnite online with your Xbox Series X or S.

If you don’t have an Xbox Live Gold subscription or Game Pass Ultimate:

Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide.
Navigate to Profile & system > Settings > Account > Subscriptions.
Select Learn about Gold.

If you’re already subscribed, you’ll see information about your subscription.
On the Choose the plan that’s right for you screen select the plan you want.
Select Add a credit card.
Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the transaction.

What to Do if You Don’t Have an Epic Games Account

Epic Games is the developer and publisher of Fortnite, and you need an account with them to play the game. This account allows you to play Fortnite on any compatible platform and access the same save data. That means if you buy or obtain items in Fortnite while playing on your Xbox Series X or S, you’ll have the same items if you play on mobile later, and vice versa. To play Fortnite Battle Royale, the online multiplayer mode, you also need an Xbox Live Gold subscription.

Here's how to sign up for a free Epic Games account.

Navigate to EpicGames.com, and click SIGN IN.
Click Sign Up beneath all of the sign-in options.
Select a sign-up method.
Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the process.

Linking Epic Games and the Xbox Network

Before you can start playing Fortnite on your Xbox Series X or S, you still need to link your Microsoft and Epic Games accounts. This is an easy one-time process that will ensure that when you play Fortnite on your Xbox Series X or S, your progress will be saved in the cloud and accessible when you play on other platforms. If you’ve previously played on another platform, linking your accounts will also give you access to all of your old stuff.

Navigate to EpicGames.com, and click SIGN IN.
Click Sign in with Epic Games, or sign in with your preferred method.
Enter your username and password, and click LOG IN NOW.
Mouseover your username in the upper right corner, and select Account.
Select Connections.
Look for Xbox on the Accounts tab, and click Connect.
Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the connection process.

Once you have created and linked your Epic Games account with your Microsoft account, you’re ready to start playing Fortnite on your Xbox Series X or S as long as you have an Xbox Live Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. The game will automatically connect when you launch it, and you can jump right on the battle bus.

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