Every bit a Windows-based device, the Xbox has a lot in common with a typical Windows PC. The Xbox is 1 of the best consoles for interacting with a Windows PC, with the power 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 equally you have the correct network setup, it'south an easy process to connect an Xbox to a PC. Yous'll need both devices on the aforementioned network and, if you want to stream content, an ethernet connection is preferred. If y'all want to know how to connect your Xbox to a Windows PC, here'due south what y'all'll need to practise.

Connecting an Xbox to a Windows PC Using the Xbox App

The Xbox Console Companion app gives y'all full control of your Xbox Ane console from your Windows PC. It allows yous to starting time upward or close down your Xbox, stream Xbox games to your PC over your local network connection, install or remove games, also as conversation with your Xbox gaming friends.

The Xbox Panel Companion app is installed on all Windows PCs, every bit function of Microsoft's program to further integrate the ii services. If you have a local user business relationship, you'll need to sign in using your Microsoft account to use the app—existing Microsoft account users should discover the app signs them in automatically.

  • While the Xbox app is linked to your Microsoft account, it won't automatically connect to your Xbox—y'all'll demand to practise this manually. To practise this, press the Connection icon in the left-hand carte du jour of the Xbox app on your PC.
  • In the Connect to your Xbox I window, click the Add a device icon in the top-right.
  • Windows will search for your Xbox One console automatically. If it detects it, printing the Connect button. If you demand to do this manually, type the IP accost for your Xbox in the box provided, then press Connect to connect to it.
  • If you can't connect, you may need to let streaming connections in your Xbox settings. To do this, open up your Xbox settings and go to Devices & Streaming > Device connections. Make sure that the Allow Play To streaming, Let game streaming to other devices and Merely from profiles signed in on this Xbox settings are selected or enabled.
  • One time the Xbox is added, you should encounter it listed in your Connections tab. From here, you tin can power the Xbox on or off, view the currently open up game or app, test the streaming quality, or stream the Xbox to your PC past pressing Stream.

Streaming Xbox Games to a Windows PC

You can stream Xbox games to your PC from the Connections tab in the Xbox Console Companion app.

  • In the Connections tab, press the Stream push button to brainstorm streaming the Xbox One console to your PC.
  • One time you've established the stream, you'll demand to decide if y'all desire to connect your Xbox One controller to your PC or continue to operate it from your Xbox. If your Xbox is a chip farther abroad, you may wish to connect it to your PC. Once y'all're ready to proceed, press Continue.
  • Using your Xbox controller, y'all can navigate your Xbox 1 menu as normal. Play a game past selecting it from the My games and apps menu.

Streaming Media Content to an Xbox Using Microsoft Movies & TV

While nigh 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 the PlayTo feature. This allows other PlayTo-capable apps to stream content from Windows to an Xbox (and vice versa).

  • You'll need to make certain that PlayTo streaming is enabled first. To do this, open your Xbox settings and go to Devices & Streaming > Device connections, making sure that the Allow Play To streaming setting is enabled.
  • In your Windows settings (right-click the Start menu and printing Settings to admission this), press Devices > Bluetooth & Other Devices > Add Bluetooth or other device.
  • In the Add a device card, select your Xbox Ane panel from the listing once the scanning process has completed.
  • Windows will ostend that a connection has been established. Click Done to ostend.

You can now stream content from the Microsoft Movies & Boob tube media app. You'll need the aforementioned app installed on both your Xbox and PC for this to work.

  • To practise this in the Movies & Television app, press the three-dot carte du jour icon in the bottom-right corner of the playback bar as you lot're playing content. From the options card, click Bandage to device.
  • In the Connect menu, select your connected Xbox 1 console. This will open the Movies & TV app on your Xbox and stream the content from your PC for playback.

Streaming Media Content to an Xbox Using Kodi

If you'd adopt to use culling media apps, and so apps like Kodi can exist installed on your Xbox. Kodi supports a total range of media playback options, including the power to access network shares from a Windows PC or other network attached storage devices.

  • On Windows, you tin share any binder by correct-clicking it and pressing Properties. In the Sharing tab, click Share to share the binder, ensuring y'all select your user account in the following window.
  • In Kodi on your Xbox, you'll need to enable network sharing using the SMB protocol used by Windows. To exercise this, open Settings > Add together-ons > My add together-ons > Virtual filesystems and select the SMB support (libsmb2) option.
  • In the plugin options window, printing Enable to enable the plugin.
  • With SMB enabled, you lot tin can at present access Windows network shares from the Settings > File Manager menu in Kodi. From in that location, press Add Source.
  • In the Add file source window, press Browse.
  • In the Browse for new share window, select Windows network (SMB).
  • A listing of your network devices will announced. Discover your PC listed here, and then select the network share from the option list before clicking OK.
  • If you need to provide a username and password to connect, select Add network location instead. Select Windows network (SMB) from the Protocol drop-down menu, then select a location, username, and password using the options provided.

In one case 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 in that location, you can select any media files for playback from your PC to your Xbox.

Xbox Gameplay From Your Windows PC

At present y'all know how to connect your Xbox to a Windows PC, you tin can accept full advantage of the multimedia capabilities of both devices. Using the Xbox app, y'all can stream and command 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 y'all 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, y'all can fifty-fifty play your Game Pass games on PC, with access shared across your Microsoft account.