How to Play Xbox on a Laptop

This article explains how to use your laptop as a monitor for your Xbox.

How Do You Play Xbox on a Laptop?

You can play Xbox games on a laptop using the console's built-in remote play feature. To get started, follow the steps below to enable remote features on your Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or Xbox One.

Enable Remote Play

You need to enable the remote play feature from the console, and it will have to be connected to the internet for it to work correctly. Additionally, you'll probably want a decent internet speed, as streaming video games smoothly can take a lot of bandwidth.

1. Turn your console on and then open Settings. Find and select Device & connections.

2. Navigate to Remote features.

3. Tick the checkbox next to the Enable remote features box.

4. Navigate to Xbox app preferences.
   

5. Choose Allow connections from any device. Alternatively, you can also select Only from profiles sign in on this Xbox console for additional security.
   

6. Now, return to the Remote features menu and select Test remote play to verify that your internet can handle the bandwidth load and complete the setup process.
   

Start Playing Xbox Games Using the Laptop's Screen

Once you've completed the setup process on your Xbox console, it's time to turn to your laptop. You'll need a laptop running Windows 10 or Windows 11. You'll also want to ensure you have the Xbox app downloaded from the Microsoft store.

1. Launch the Xbox app on your Windows laptop.
   

2. Find the console icon next to the search bar at the top of the application.
   

3. Click on the icon to start streaming your Xbox console to your laptop. You will need to make sure you leave your console on while you're playing.
   

Can You Plug an Xbox Into a Laptop?

While many laptops have an HDMI port, these usually don't offer any way to push a signal into the laptop itself. Essentially, those ports are output only, which means they can only push the display signal of the laptop to another monitor or TV. Because these ports are output only, you can't plug an Xbox into a laptop and use it as a monitor.

The only other way to play Xbox games on your laptop is to use Xbox Cloud Gaming, included in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The most significant difference between this and simply playing the games using remote play is it won't share your games or progress from the console. Instead, Xbox Cloud Gaming is locked to the titles available on the Xbox Game Pass service. Make sure to check out our guide to Xbox Cloud Gaming to see if the service is right for you.

Can I Play My Xbox One on My Laptop?

If you have an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, or Xbox One, you can play games from your console on a Windows laptop or computer.

Because the Xbox One and Xbox Series X / Series S use similar system setups, you can use the same settings mentioned above to play Xbox One games on your laptop. You will need to enable Remote features on your Xbox One console. Leave your console on, open the Xbox app on your laptop, and connect to it using the icon next to the search bar.