How to Connect Your Xbox to Your Windows PC

Stream games and media both ways

As a Windows-based device, the Xbox has a lot in common with a typical Windows PC. The Xbox is one of the best consoles for interacting with a Windows PC, with the ability to stream games, share media content, and more. If you want a seamless multimedia experience, combining the Xbox and a Windows PC makes sense.

As long as you have the correct network setup, it’s an easy process to connect an Xbox to a PC. You’ll need both devices on the same network and, if you want to stream content, anethernet connectionis preferred. If you want to know how to connect your Xbox to a Windows PC, here’s what you’ll need to do.

Connecting an Xbox to a Windows PC Using the Xbox App

TheXbox Console Companionapp gives you full control of your Xbox One console from your Windows PC. It allows you to start up or shut down your Xbox, stream Xbox games to your PC over your local network connection, install or remove games, as well as chat with your Xbox gaming friends.

The Xbox Console Companion app is installed on all Windows PCs, as part of Microsoft’s plan to further integrate the two services. If you have alocal user account, you’ll need to sign in using your Microsoft account to use the app—existing Microsoft account users should find the app signs them in automatically.

Streaming Xbox Games to a Windows PC

You can stream Xbox games to your PC from theConnectionstab in theXbox Console Companionapp.

Streaming Media Content to an Xbox Using Microsoft Movies & TV

While most users will probably be interested in connecting and controlling their Xbox to a PC for gameplay reasons, you can stream other media content to an Xbox using thePlayTofeature. This allows other PlayTo-capable apps to stream content from Windows to an Xbox (and vice versa).

You can now stream content from the MicrosoftMovies & TVmedia app. You’ll need the same app installed on both your Xbox and PC for this to work.

Streaming Media Content to an Xbox Using Kodi

If you’d prefer to use alternative media apps, then apps likeKodican be installed on your Xbox. Kodi supports a full range of media playback options, including the ability to access network shares from a Windows PC or othernetwork attached storagedevices.

Once the share has been added to your Kodi settings, you should see it listed under the various media categories (eg.Videos > Files) on your Kodi home screen. From there, you can select any media files for playback from your PC to your Xbox.

Xbox Gameplay From Your Windows PC

Now you know how to connect your Xbox to a Windows PC, you can take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities of both devices. Using the Xbox app, you can stream and control your Xbox from your PC, as well as stream other types of media content from your PC to your Xbox the other way.

For classic game fans, the Xbox gives you the perfect excuse to pick up the controller, with great backwards compatibility with older Xbox consoles. If you’re a subscriber to Xbox Game Pass, you can evenplay your Game Pass games on PC, with access shared across your Microsoft account.

Ben Stockton is a freelance technology writer based in the United Kingdom. In a past life, Ben was a college lecturer in the UK, training teens and adults. Since leaving the classroom, Ben has taken his teaching experience and applied it to writing tech how-to guides and tutorials, specialising in Linux, Windows, and Android. He has a degree in History and a postgraduate qualification in Computing.Read Ben’s Full Bio

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How to Connect Your Xbox to Your Windows PC#

Connecting an Xbox to a Windows PC Using the Xbox App#

Streaming Xbox Games to a Windows PC#

Streaming Media Content to an Xbox Using Microsoft Movies & TV#

Streaming Media Content to an Xbox Using Kodi#

Xbox Gameplay From Your Windows PC#