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How to Play Xbox One Games on Mac

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You can play Xbox One games on Mac using an app that allows you to stream your Xbox to your Mac, just like Windows users can. This works best on your home connection, but you can set it up to play your Xbox remotely over the Internet. Here’s what you need, how well it works, and other important details.

With Windows 10 you can stream your Xbox games to your computer on the same network, but there is no official support for Mac. An app called OneCast uses the same technology that Windows uses to let you stream your Xbox One to your Mac. You can connect an Xbox One controller via Bluetooth or USB and play your Xbox games on your Mac.

OneCast is $19.99 for the full version. You can get a free 14-day trial, which means you can easily see if this works with your setup. Here’s how to get started.

OneCast Review

How to play Xbox One games on Mac.

How to play Xbox One games on Mac.

I tested this using an Xbox One X connected to my home network with a network cable and a MacBook Pro connected to the network on a 5Ghz WiFi connection. The setup is simple and it works very well. I played on high video quality and it was close to the same experience as playing on a Windows laptop on the same network. The video looked nice and controls are responsive for the most part. There are some times while playing fast-twitch games like Forza Horizon that it felt a little off and it definitely cost me a gunfight in PUBG during one game, but overall it’s a good experience for the price. Playing PUBG on Mac without the Xbox is still a better experience.

How to Play Xbox One Games on Mac

Play Forza Horizon 3, PUBG and other Xbox One games on your Mac with game streaming.

Play Forza Horizon, PUBG, and other Xbox One games on your Mac with game streaming.

Here’s what you need to get started and have the best setup for playing Xbox One games on your Mac. You should have your Xbox One connected to your network with an ethernet cable and you need to connect your Mac to the 5Ghz network on your WiFi. This may work without this, but you won’t have the best experience.

  1. Turn on streaming on your Xbox One. You need to turn on your Xbox One and go to Settings -> Preferences -> Game DVR & Streaming -> Allow game streaming to other devices.
  2. Then on Xbox app connections choose Allow connections from any device.
  3. Leave your Xbox turned on and signed in to the profile you want to use.
  4. Download the OneCast trial and install it on your Mac.
  5. Open OneCast
  6. Click Register Xbox One.
  7. The app will find your Xbox One on the network and connect.
  8. Sign into the Xbox account on your Mac.
  9. Now you should connect to the Xbox One and see your home screen on the Mac.
  10. Pick a game and start playing using your Xbox One controller.
Connect to your Xbox One and start streaming games to your Mac.

Connect to your Xbox One and start streaming games to your Mac.

You can pair newer Xbox One controllers (those from the One S and newer) to the Mac using Bluetooth. To do this hold the sync button next to the USB connection and then go to Settings -> Bluetooth and connect to the Xbox One wireless controller. Or you can plug a USB to Micro USB cable in and connect that way. If you plugin, open OneCast, click on Controller, and then on Install the Xbox One Controller USB driver. I recommend getting a second controller that you use with your Mac if you plan to do this often.

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You only need to register the Xbox One and connect the controller once. After that you can pick from a drop-down to choose which Xbox One you want to connect to. Click on Connect and you will now see your Xbox One home screen.

You can play any digital games you own or whichever game is in your disk drive. You can also use this as a handy way to check for game updates or to start the download of a new patch or a new game.

11 Reasons to Buy the Xbox One in 2020 & 3 Reasons To Skip It

Xbox One S and Xbox One X Offer Tons of Value

Xbox One S and Xbox One X Offer Tons of Value
$231.00 from Amazon

The Xbox One S and Xbox One X are very different from the original Xbox that launched back in 2013. There are new features and when it comes to gaming and entertainment it's hard to beat the value that you get from an Xbox One S.

You can even find Xbox One S deals that cut the price down to $199. We've seen Xbox One X deals cut $100 off the price of the more powerful model as well. You can also buy a bunch of different Xbox One S bundles that include at least one game starting at $249.

Keep in mind that the Xbox Series S starts at $299, so if you can't find a deal on the One S, you should look for the Xbox Series S in stock since it does offer more value at full retail.

Both the Xbox One S and Xbox One X support HDR gaming and play all the Xbox One games. You also get access to tons of Xbox 360 and even some older Xbox games thanks to backward compatibility

In addition to gaming, you can use the Xbox One to watch Netflix, Hulu, Fox Sports Go, HBO, Showtime, and tons of other entertainment apps that let you upgrade your entertainment hub as well as meet your gaming needs. 

Last update on 2024-03-11. This post may contain affiliate links. Click here to read our disclosure policy for more details. Images via Amazon API

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Bob

    05/27/2019 at 1:09 am

    Hi, when you connect a mac to the Xbox, can you use a keyboard and mouse that is connected to the mac to play the game, instead of a controller connected to the Xbox?
    Thanks!

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