The world of gaming is divided into two big groups: PC gaming and Console gaming. The world of console gaming is further divided into two groups: PlayStation gamers and Xbox gamers.
Xbox is Microsofts line of gaming consoles that everyone loves spending hours playing various games on. This amazing console from Microsoft has made the days of countless children better.
To play games on these consoles you need the console itself, controllers [one or more than one depending on how many people are playing] and a TV.
What if for some reason your TV goes bad and you are not able to connect your Xbox to the TV? Or what if you dont have a good quality TV to begin with? How are you going to play games on your Xbox, you may ask?
Well, you dont have to fret over it too much. In this article we will show you how you can use your laptop as a monitor for playing games on your Xbox with.
We will explain the process to you step by step in the most comprehensive way possible. So without further ado, lets look at how you are going to connect the two devices.
How to Connect Xbox to Laptop
Connecting Using HDMI cables
One easy way to use your laptop screen as a monitor for your Xbox is by using an HDMI cable. HDMI cables are included with both Xbox and most laptops, so it shouldnt be a big deal to find one. Lets see how we are going to connect your Xbox with your laptop using the HDMI cables.
Step 1: Gather Your Equipment
First of all, you need to gather the things you will need to connect the two devices. You will need an XBOX 360 or an XBOX One, an HDMI cable, and a laptop that comes with HDMI Input Connection.
You must make sure the laptop you are using, comes with HDMI Input, or else you will not be able to use the HDMI cable to connect the two. In this case, skip to the next section where we explain how you will connect your Xbox and laptop without the HDMI cable.
Step 2: Identify HDMI input and HDMI Output
HDMIis the standard connection method for all current generation gaming consoles for transmitting audio and video for several years now. On regular HD TV you will find lots HDMI inputs, which allows you to connect with multiple high definition sources.
In this case, your output source is the Xbox, which sends information to the HDMI input source. Unlike TVs, Laptops have a slightly altered set of connections.
When connecting your Xbox with your laptop, you will need to determine which inputs it consists of. Although you may see an HDMI port on your laptop, chances are, it is an HDMI output port.
This means you can transmit or stream high definition audio and video from the laptop to an external monitor, but not the other way around.This can be an issue, as that would mean you cannot use the HDMI cable to connect your Xbox to your laptop.
Finding a laptop that includes an HDMI input source is a crucial step in this process. The availability of an HDMI input connection on your laptop will determine whether you can connect the two in this method or not.
Step 3: Connecting to the Xbox
After identifying the HDMI input on your laptop, all you need to do is connect the two devices. This is the simplest task in this process. All you do is plug the cable into your laptops HDMI port, and then just choose the appropriate video source for your laptop. And then you will be able to use your laptop as the monitor for your gaming!
Connecting without HDMI Cables
What if you do not have an HDMI cable? Or what if the laptop that you will be using does not come with an HDMI input port? Will this step is for you. In this step we will show you how you will connect the two devices wirelessly.
Step 1: Get a Wireless or Ethernet Connection
You will require an Ethernet connection for this process. Make sure the laptop you are using has Windows 10 for PC installed and has a Wi-Fi connection.
Step 2: Logging into Xbox Account
Heres the slightly tricky part. You will need to log into your Xbox Live account from your laptop. If you have been using your Xbox for a while now, all you have to do is just log in. But if you dont have an account yet, you must first sign up for your Xbox Live account.
Step 3: Connecting the two Devices
After you are done logging in, you need to turn on your Xbox. You have to click on the connection button on the bottom left on your laptop screen. You will see that the two devices are connected on the same network.
Now that you are connected with the two devices on the same network, you can stream the video source from your Xbox to your laptop with ease. And now you can play your games, stream, record and everything else from your Xbox using your laptop as the monitor.
These steps also work for desktop PCs that run Windows 10 and the process is exactly the same. So in case you were wondering what to do if you dont even have a laptop to begin with, well, its the same for your PC.
Final Words
So there you have it. Thats all you have to do to connect your Xbox to your laptop of PC. We hope you understood the process properly and will be able to connect the two devices to continue shooting innocent NPCs [yes, we know you do that] without a TV.
We hope you enjoyed reading this article and learned something new today. We are always glad to be of assistance. Have a nice day!