As a gamer, I’m always on the lookout for innovative ways to enhance my gaming experience. Recently, I’ve been curious to know if I can use my laptop as a monitor for my Xbox Series S/X. After doing some research and testing, I’m excited to share my findings with all of you. In this blog post, I’ll be discussing all the ways you can use your laptop as a monitor for your Xbox Series S/X, including the best setup options, what you’ll need, and more.
You can actually use your laptop to serve as your Xbox S or X display. You can do this using an HDMI cable, the Xbox app, or remote play.
| Method | Requirements | Steps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. HDMI Cable | – HDMI cable | 1. Connect one end of the HDMI cable to your laptop’s HDMI port. |
| – Laptop with HDMI port | 2. Plug the other end of the HDMI cable into your console’s port. | |
| – Xbox Series S/X | 3. Set your laptop’s display to the HDMI input. | |
| 4. Turn on your Xbox console. | ||
| 5. Check for a successful connection by seeing the Xbox welcome screen and home profile on your laptop. | ||
| 2. Wireless Screen Sharing | – Xbox app on your laptop | 1. Turn on game streaming on your console via its settings and under “Xbox connections.” |
| Via Xbox App | – Stable internet connection | 2. Open the Xbox app on your laptop and select the “connection” option on the left bar. |
| – Xbox Series S/X | 3. Choose your console from the list of available consoles. | |
| 4. Wait for the app to pair your devices. | ||
| 5. Start streaming your Xbox games on your laptop. | ||
| 3. Screen Streaming Via | – 5Ghz internet connection | 1. Enable remote play by clicking the Xbox button on your controller, selecting your “profile,” “settings,” “devices and connections,” and “Remote Features,” then checking the “Enable remote features” box. |
| Remote Play | – Xbox Series S/X | 2. Click “Xbox App Preferences” and tick “allow game streaming to other devices.” |
| – Windows 10 or 11 | 3. Connect your Xbox controller to your laptop via USB cable or Bluetooth. | |
| – 2GB of RAM | 4. Open the Xbox companion app on your laptop and click on the console icon. | |
| – Xbox Companion App | 5. Select your Xbox One from the list of available consoles. | |
| 6. Click the stream button to begin streaming on your laptop. |
Table of Contents
Method 1: HDMI Cable
Using an HDMI cable is the easiest and most straightforward way to make your laptop your dedicated console gaming monitor.
You can even use this method without the need for an internet connection. And because it’s a physical connection, it’s less likely to cause lags while playing.
Here’s how to use your HDMI cable to connect your console to your laptop:
- Begin by taking one end of your cable and connecting it to your laptop’s HDMI port.
- Next, plug the other end of the HDMI cable into your console’s port.
- Afterward, set your laptop’s display to the HDMI input.
- Once done, turn on your Xbox console.
- If the connection is successful, you’ll see the Xbox welcome, and then your home profile on your laptop screen.
Method 2: Wireless Screen Sharing Via Xbox App
If your laptop doesn’t have an HDMI port, another way to connect it to your console is through the Xbox App.
But before reading the instructions below, make sure that you’ve got the application installed on your laptop first.
If you don’t know how to download the app, here’s a brief guide for you:
- Go to the official page for the Xbox application.
- After the page loads, an “Xbox app for Windows PC” label will appear.
- Under it, select the green “download the app” option.
- Once downloaded, install and set it up on your laptop using your Microsoft account.
Once you’ve got the Xbox application installed and set up, follow these steps to use your laptop as your monitor using the Xbox app:
- First, turn on game streaming on your console by going through its settings and under “Xbox connections.”
- Second, open the Xbox application on your laptop and select the “connection” option on the left bar.
- A list of all available consoles will appear on the screen.
- Select the name of your console.
- Afterward, the app will begin pairing both of your devices.
- Once successfully paired, you can now stream your Xbox games on your laptop.
One thing to note, though, is that using the Xbox app needs a stable internet connection, otherwise it would cause lags while gaming.
Method 3: Screen Streaming Via Remote Play
Remote play is a feature that allows your Xbox console to share its audio and video output with any compatible devices through the internet.
However, remote play, like the Xbox app, requires an uninterrupted wireless connection. On top of that, it has several hardware requirements that must be met before you can use it.
Here are the recommended PC or laptop hardware required for using remote play:
- 5Ghz internet connection
- Xbox One Series X or S
- Windows 10 or 11
- 2GB of RAM
- Xbox Companion App
Here’s how to stream to your laptop from your Xbox One X or S through remote play:
- First, turn on the remote play by clicking the Xbox button on your controller.
- Next, select your “profile,” then “settings.” then “devices and connections.”
- Under devices and connections, select “Remote Features.”
- Select the “Enable remote features” checkbox that appears.
- Next, click the “Xbox App Preferences” among the options on the right side.
- Another set of checkbox options will appear, tick “allow game streaming to other devices.”
- Once done, connect your Xbox controller to your laptop, either via USB cable or Bluetooth.
- Finally, open the Xbox companion app on your laptop and click on the console icon on the far-left vertical panel of your screen.
- Then, select your Xbox One from the list of available consoles that will appear.
- After connecting, you can now stream on your laptop by clicking the stream button.
If you’re ever using remote play to stream Xbox games on your laptop or PC, Microsoft recommends saving your progress frequently while you’re playing.
This is because the remote play feature is heavily reliant on its wireless connection. Thus, any interruption can result in data loss.
Wrapping Up
Xbox One really offers one of the best and most versatile gaming experiences for gamers, but what if you don’t have a large monitor?
Can you use laptop as monitor for Xbox series S/X? The answer is yes!
You can do so using an HDMI cable, the Xbox app, or the remote feature, with the first method being the most straightforward.
Simply refer to the above-listed steps, and you should be using your laptop as an Xbox monitor in no time. Enjoy!
