Over the life of the Xbox and through various iterations, Microsoft has gone from being a console manufacturer to being an ecosystem. Xbox is no longer solely about the console, but about the system as a whole. After all, thanks to the new Games Pass Ultimate, you can play Xbox One games on your PC. In fact, there are several games available through Games Pass that can be only playable on PC.
This opens up completely new possibilities for integration between PC and Xbox games, including Xbox Console Companion. The Xbox Console Companion is a PC app that displays your messages, activity stream, recently played games (including PC games), gaming news, and more.
Its strongest feature is its integrated Xbox streaming. Every gamer knows the question: “Who will be watching TV tonight?” However, with a decent network and PC, you can set up Xbox streaming to your PC and play on your monitor, allowing your significant other to watch the latest episode of their favorite show.
How to set up Xbox Stream on PC
Make sure the Xbox Console Companion app is downloaded to your computer before you begin. In many cases, this will be the default. If not, you can download it from Xbox.com
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Make sure your Xbox One is turned on and connected to the same network as your computer. If possible, make sure your computer is wired with an Ethernet cable to reduce the latency between your console and computer.
Launch the Xbox Console Companion app. It will look like this:
Your particular home screen will look different depending on the games you’ve played and various other factors. In the lower right corner of the screen, find the heading “Game streaming” and select it. Another window will open up where your console partner will ask you to choose your Xbox One to stream.
Your console will appear in the list. Select it to start streaming from your Xbox screen directly to your computer. You will need to connect the controller to your computer either via Bluetooth or using a USB cable. Once you start streaming, you can control your console as usual; In fact, your real console will mirror the actions you take on your PC.
Select the game you want to play and the Xbox Console Companion app will minimize as the game takes up the entire screen. This is the default setting, although you can only use a portion of the screen for streaming. Once inside the game, you can display important information such as the amount of bandwidth required for streaming and more. Take a look at the example below:
If you’ve accidentally removed the streaming option from the Xbox Console Companion home screen, you can access it using the icon bar on the left side of the Console Companion. The second icon from the bottom, right above the Settings icon, will give you access to another screen that allows you to stream, test your streaming capabilities, and more.
Once you’ve connected your Xbox One console to your computer for the first time using Xbox Integrated Streaming, you can easily stream Xbox games whenever your console is turned on.
However, there are a few things you need to remember before trying to play this way.
First, you need sufficient bandwidth. Streaming over a home network requires quite a lot of bandwidth and affects the connection quality of other users. Conversely, someone who is streaming 4K video is likely to negatively impact your gameplay.
Secondly, it should be remembered that with such a game there is a noticeable lag. In our tests, the lag was felt even at the best of times. While that didn’t make Apex Legends unusable, the game felt sluggish. Games that require high responsiveness and minimal or no latency are best played on a real console, but many single-player games can be played without any negative consequences. Turn-based RPGs and games like Assassin’s Creed are perfect for streaming, but fighting games and first-person shooters suffer.
If you’re looking for a way to stream your favorite Xbox games to your PC without distracting from your TV, Xbox Integrated Streaming is your go-to. It’s easy to set up, and once you’ve done it, you can play to your heart’s content.
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