Not everyone has a TV nowadays. In fact, some people watch everything on one of many devices. Whether or not you can use a laptop as a monitor for an Xbox is a common question. Luckily, I am here to give you the answer to the question.
A laptop can be used as a monitor for an Xbox if there is an HDMI port on the laptop. A workaround is to use the built-in streaming capability present in some Xbox units and connect through your network. However, the quality and lag may be poor if you use the streaming option.
The rest of the article will tell you how to set up both the HDMI and streaming option to use your laptop as a monitor for an Xbox.
Identifying the HDMI Port
To find out whether you have any type of HDMI port, you can either:
- Check the information that came with your laptop.
- Go to the System menu (Windows key + Pause Break key or press the Windows logo and then type “System” in the box that you will see at the bottom of the window that opens).
- Look at your laptop. Check out the ports you see on the sides and back. If one of them looks sort of like a USB port but is wider at the top than the bottom, that’s likely your HDMI port. HDMI ports can be regular size or mini ports, and you could have either type, none, or both. Any HDMI-in port will be labeled “HDMI in.”
The reality is that almost all laptops with HDMI ports only have “out” ports. This is mainly because of the need to install anti-piracy measures to prevent the theft of copyrighted work like movies and music. Without that protection, you could use an “in” port to copy media, thereby making illegal copies.
HDCP (short for High-bandwidth Digital Copyright Protection) is installed on PCs for just this reason. When installed on laptops, it tends to result in significant lag in computer function – not something you will appreciate on that costly new laptop.
As a result, unless you have a custom laptop designed with an HDMI-in port, you’re likely only to have the “out” port, if you have HDMI at all.
If You Have an HDMI-in Port:
If you do have a laptop with an “in” port, it’s simple to connect to the Xbox.
With the Xbox console off:
- Connect one end of your HDMI cable to your Xbox “out” port, and the other to your laptop’s “in” port.
- Turn on the console, and your laptop should automatically change its screen input source to the output from the game console.
If you experience trouble, go to your display settings configuration. You can access that by typing “Display” in the search window on your taskbar and then selecting the desired option.
Streaming on the Xbox One:
The good news if you have an Xbox One is that the system now comes with built-in streaming capability. You will need to make sure that your Xbox One and your laptop are connected to the same network, and then follow the following steps to connect them:
- Download the Xbox app to your laptop and install it. To do this, type “Microsoft Store” in the search window on your taskbar, and then search for “Xbox.” Click “Get,” and then “Install.” A message will pop up when the installation has completed
- On your Xbox, go to Settings / Preferences. Check the box that says, “Allow game streaming to other devices.”
- On your laptop, launch the Xbox app. On the menu bar on the far left, select the “Connect” icon.
- When the Xbox One console appears, select that. After a few seconds, you should be connected.
- Connect your Xbox controller of choice to your laptop through a USB port.
Happy Gaming!
You should now be ready to use your laptop to play Xbox One games.
Unfortunately, streaming comes with some drawbacks. Lagging, frequent disconnections and poor quality are all possible depending on the strength of the connection and the bandwidth available. The lower the bandwidth on your home network, the worse those issues will be.
Although streaming may be useful in a pinch, it’s likely going to be a better idea to use a wired connection from your Xbox to the display device of your choice as a long-term option. If you don’t want to purchase a TV, you can simply buy a computer monitor. Be sure to pick one that can support at least 1920 x 1080 resolution and an HDMI port (almost guaranteed these days). It will also need to be equipped to provide sound unless you plan to use external speakers.
I hope this article has been helpful. Thanks for reading!
Jim James is a published author and expert on the outdoors and survivalism. Through avid research and hands-on experience, he has gained expertise on a wide variety of topics. His time spent at college taught him to become really good at figuring out answers to common problems. Often through extensive trial and error, Jim has continued to learn and increase his knowledge of a vast array of topics related to firearms, hunting, fishing, medical topics, cooking, games/gaming, and other subjects too numerous to name.
Jim has been teaching people a wide variety of survivalism topics for over five years and has a lifetime of experience fishing, camping, general survivalism, and anything in nature. In fact, while growing up, he often spent more time on the water than on land! He has degrees in History, Anthropology, and Music from the University of Southern Mississippi. He extensively studied Southern History, nutrition, geopolitics, the Cold War, and nuclear policy strategies and safety as well as numerous other topics related to the content on survivalfreedom.com.