Even with the release of the Xbox Series X/S, the Xbox One is still one of the most popular videogame consoles in the entire world because it still is pretty much powerful enough to handle all of the necessary gaming needs of the usual gamer. But, in case you didn’t have a monitor or a TV wherever you may be, it might be a good idea for you to hook up your Xbox One with your laptop. So, how do you use the laptop as a monitor for Xbox One?
You will need to connect your Xbox One to a laptop with HDMI input instead of output only by using an HDMI cable. This is the easiest way to connect the two devices. However, because not all laptops come with HDMI input, you can use your laptop as a monitor for your Xbox One for streaming using the Xbox App.
As Windows laptops and the Xbox One are both from Microsoft, the company has made it possible to actually use laptop monitors as screens for your Xbox One console. That said, there are two main methods that we are here to discuss if you want to use your laptop to play games using your Xbox One console.
Can you use your laptop as a monitor for Xbox One?
Nowadays, our laptops are becoming more and more versatile as they are now built with different features that give them the all-around purpose that people want to have from their laptops. This is what has made the laptop a good partner for the Xbox One, which is also one of the most popular videogame consoles of all time.
True enough, the Xbox One is still a force to be reckoned with even with the release of the newer and more powerful Xbox Series X/S. That’s because there are still plenty of great games you can play using the Xbox One on top of how it still has the power and the price that matches what most people are looking for from their videogame consoles.
However, the conventional way for you to play with your Xbox One is by using an external monitor or a television screen to display whatever the Xbox One is running. This is the same as any other videogame console that isn’t handheld. And this is also the reason why the Xbox One isn’t a portable and convenient console.
But is there a way for you to make the Xbox One portable even though it wasn’t made for that purpose? What if you can connect your Xbox One to a laptop to make it the console’s monitor? Is it even possible for you to use your laptop’s screen as the monitor for your Xbox One?
The good news is that, yes, it is actually possible for you to use your laptop as a screen for your Xbox One in case you don’t have a monitor or a TV lying around somewhere. This makes the Xbox One portable and more convenient to use as long as you have a laptop and the right cables that will allow you to connect the two.
However, there is a catch here because not all laptops are capable of being used as a monitor for your Xbox One. While Windows operating systems on laptops and the Xbox One are both from Microsoft, which has made it possible for you to seamlessly allow the two to work together, some laptops don’t come with the right kind of hardware to support gaming with your Xbox One. Still, there is a workaround to that, and that is something we will talk about later as we proceed with our article.
Why use your laptop as a monitor for your Xbox One?
Before we get to the point where we discuss how to use your laptop as the screen or monitor for your Xbox One, you might be wondering why you actually want to do so. After all, it is more convenient for you to just plug and play your Xbox One to your monitor and TV at home. Not only is doing so easier but monitors and TVs are also bigger than laptop screens. In that regard, there are two reasons why we are even bringing this topic up.
The first reason why you may want to use your laptop as a monitor for your Xbox One is due to the fact that you may not even have a monitor or a TV at home. There are people who are still starting out in life and are not capable of buying an external monitor or a TV for their homes. Still, because they have laptops that they use for work, they can still enjoy gaming with an Xbox One even without having to buy a monitor or a TV.
Meanwhile, the second reason why you may want to use your laptop as the screen for your videogame console is to make the Xbox One portable. The Xbox One is by no means a portable machine due to its size. However, you can still fit it in a large enough bag whenever you are on the go. The same cannot be said of an external monitor or a TV, which are too big and too fragile for you to carry around.
So, if you are able to fit your Xbox One in a large enough bag and you are on the go, you can simply take it out and hook it up with your laptop if you are traveling or if you are always on the move. Even though the Xbox One isn’t supposed to be portable, you are now making it a bit portable by connecting it to a laptop screen so that you can enjoy gaming without being at home.
What are the different methods you can use to use your laptop as an Xbox One monitor?
Now that we have that out of the way, let us now discuss the different methods that you can use to connect your laptop to your Xbox One so that you can use it as the monitor that you will be using for gaming.
Method 1: Direct HDMI connection
So, as mentioned, you can directly use your laptop as a monitor for your Xbox One using its HDMI connection. However, the catch here is that you should have a laptop that actually allows HDMI input and not only HDMI output. Most of the newer laptops allow this feature but this might not be quite common among laptops. That’s why you have to make sure that your laptop comes with this feature.
Here are some of the things you will be needing to make this connection happen:
- An Xbox One console together with all of its wires, components, and controller/s.
- A laptop that is capable of HDMI input for its monitor.
- An HDMI cable that comes with your Xbox One console.
Once you have all of those three, here are the things you need to do:
Connect your Xbox One console to a power source and make sure that it is turning on. Keep it on standby first. You can choose to turn it on ahead of time or keep it off before making the connection.
Grab your HDMI cable and connect one head to your Xbox One.
Meanwhile, turn your laptop on and make sure that it is also connected to a power source because this can be a power-intensive procedure. Connect the other head of the HDMI cable to the laptop.
On your laptop, select the appropriate video source so that you can use your Xbox One on it. After doing so, your laptop monitor should be showing your Xbox One’s user interface as it is now the monitor for the console.
Method 2: Streaming on your laptop
However, if you don’t have HDMI input capabilities for your laptop or if you don’t have an HDMI cable lying around, there is still a possibility for you to use your laptop as the monitor for your Xbox One. However, this is an indirect connection that requires you to have an internet connection for both your laptop and your gaming console.
Here are the things you will be needing:
- Wireless connection for both your laptop and your Xbox One.
- A laptop that is running on Windows 10 and with the Xbox App downloaded on it.
- An Xbox One together with all of its components, cables, and controller/s.
After securing all of those, here is what you need to do:
- On your laptop, open your Xbox App. You can download this app online.
- Log into your Xbox account on the Xbox App on your laptop.
- Look for the “Connection” icon located above the “Settings” icon on the Xbox App. This can be found on the left-hand side of the app’s interface.
- Click “XboxOne” on the devices so that you can connect your console to your laptop. Make sure that the console has been turned on the entire time and is actually connected to the same network.
- Look for the “Stream” button found on the interface of the app after doing the abovementioned step.
- After that, click “Continue” when the app asks you to attach a controller to the laptop or to the videogame console.
From there, your laptop should be showing your Xbox One’s user interface as you can now use your laptop to basically stream whatever is happening on your console. While this is going on, you can still freely use your laptop as it is but make sure that the connection between it and the console is stable and steady so that you won’t lose the feed from your Xbox One.
This method does not necessarily use your laptop as a monitor but only as a screen that uses your internet connection to feed and stream whatever is happening on the console. The problem with this method is that it isn’t really reliable as far as stability goes because of how there is going to be a time lag between your laptop and the Xbox One console due to the fact that you are only streaming via the internet. If your console is connected to a separate monitor throughout this time, you will be able to notice the lag.
Is a TV or a gaming monitor still preferable to a laptop when playing with an Xbox One?
Now that you know that you can use your laptop as a monitor or as a screen for your Xbox One either directly through the HDMI cable or indirectly by making use of your wireless connection, you might be wondering if these methods essentially replace your monitor or your TV for gaming.
For starters, it still is better for you to use your monitor or your TV when you are using your Xbox One console especially if your laptop’s display was not meant for gaming. Most laptops should have small displays that might not go past 17 inches. This might be too small for most gamers.
On top of that, the displays on laptops that were not meant for gaming don’t have the same kind of performance as an actual gaming monitor. So, if you are simply using a standard laptop, it might not have the same speed and responsiveness as an actual gaming monitor or even a television.
Of course, if you are going to use the indirect method by streaming your Xbox One onto your laptop, you also have to consider the time lag between the console and the stream because you are only using a wireless network to make the connection happen.
You also have to consider the fact that using this method can be power-intensive on the part of your laptop and may end up eating up its battery. And keeping your laptop plugged in the whole time for extended periods while you are gaming can end up damaging both the computer and its battery.
In other words, you shouldn’t be using your laptop as your main display if you are gaming using your Xbox One. These methods should be reserved as a last resort if you don’t have a TV or a monitor or if you are traveling. Otherwise, it’s better to stick with the TV or the monitor if you have both or either of them.
