How to Play your Xbox on Mac – In-depth Informative Guide

Mac supports many fast-switch high-processing games for gamers to engage in. However, it does not offer nearly as much variety as the Windows platform. Therefore, we understand that you might want to connect your Xbox to your Mac to get benefits from its game collection.

You can play Xbox games on your Mac by using an app called OneCast or Parallels. These are great options that allow you to stream in 1080p and connect Xbox controllers. You can read our post on How to Play Xbox on Mac Computer to learn more about these options.

In this post, we will talk about how you can use a simple trick to play Xbox games on any iOS device by signing up on streaming services. Moreover, we will also tell you how you can use Xbox Cloud services to stream games on Mac. 

How to Play your Xbox on Mac?

Here are a couple of ways through which you can play Xbox games on a Mac.

Game Streaming Services

Signing up for streaming services saves you a lot of time, effort, and resources as they do not require any additional setup or tools. 

The first thing you would need to do is visit one of the following links to set up an account on one of the platforms:

• PS Remote Play
• Stadia
• NVIDIA GeForce Now
• Project xCloud – Xbox

The NVIDIA GeForce Now and Project xCloud platforms both are currently in their beta stages which means that you might face some performance issues during gameplays. However, they are quite promising as they are Microsoft platforms. 

Moreover, you need to own a PS4 or PS5 console before you sign up for PS Remote Play without which you will not be able to find support for the platform. Furthermore, Stadia is subscription-based, however, you can use it for a one-month trial period.

Controller

While a keyboard and a mouse are a mainstream standard for using any system, controllers have become the new norm for gamers to indulge in more interactive gaming sessions. 

You would need an Xbox or PlayStation controller to play games on your Mac that you can connect with Bluetooth. These controllers will allow you to navigate and interact between games easily. 

Advantage of Streaming Services

The best part about signing up with streaming services is the fact that you do not need to download additional apps or hassle through any additional setups to play games on your Mac. 

Once you have signed up, you can purchase any game you want to play and dive right into intense gaming sessions. However, the PS Remote Play service requires some additional setup that is relatively quick and easy.

Xbox Cloud Gaming 

Microsoft worked on this platform for approximately three years and launched it as a competitor to Nvidia, Google Stadia, and others. The service came out as Project xCloud and rebranded xCloud as Xbox Cloud Gaming. 

It encompasses all of the capabilities of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with which many Xbox users must already be familiar and comfortable. It provides you access to an Xbox Live Gold and a vast library of above 100 games with recently launched AAA titles as well. 

Project xCloud Accessibility

Microsoft provided its cloud gaming services to Android users recently. They might tap into an app that would be available on the App Store to provide easier access and pivot into iOS support as well. 

The dispute between Apple and Epic Games could have been a reason behind Microsoft’s hesitance to launch the app on their App Store. However, with Nvidia and Google Stadia providing access, Microsoft might also have to pivot by offering PWA support. 

Fortunately, with the release of Xbox Cloud Gaming, Mac users also have support for this platform which means you can have access to Xbox games regardless of the platform you are using. 

Xbox Cloud Gaming Requirements

Before diving into the specifics, you need to know what the platform requires for proper running. 

These are some of the requirements broken down on Microsoft’s landing page:

• Apple Device with iOS 14+ 
• Safari Browser
• Compatible Xbox controllers
• 10Mbps with 5GHz speed or more internet 

Step-by-Step Guide

With the introduction of Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft has given access to Mac users the ability to use this service from Safari or Chrome. 

You can follow these instructions to set up the controller with your Mac:

• Click the Xbox button on the controller to turn it on.
• Keep the connect button on the controller pressed to enter it into pairing mode. 
• Go to System Preferences on your Mac.
• Select the Bluetooth option from the preferences panel.
• Find and select your Xbox controller from the devices list. 

Now that your controller is paired up with your Mac, you can start with Xbox Cloud Gaming:

• Open the Safari browser on your Mac desktop
• Enter and open the link https://www.xbox.com/en-US/play in the browser
• Log in to your Microsoft account. If you do not have one, create an account beforehand.
• Search for a game you would be interested in and start playing. 

Cloud Gaming on Mac

Cloud Gaming has seen some ups and downs on the iOS platform because of Apple’s restrictive Apple Store rules that cost many users the accessibility to Xbox’s Cloud Gaming services. 

Microsoft did update the Xbox app to allow users to stream games over their local network, however, it did not give the same level of engagement that Cloud games provide where you do not need to download the games at all. 

After some intense negotiations behind doors between the two platforms, Microsoft announced that it would develop a web-based solution for devices such as iPad, iPhone, and Mac, on which it cannot provide an app.

Some time after a short invite-only beta period, Microsoft announced that all subscribers of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate could access Xbox games on any Apple device by simply accessing the Xbox website using any browser.

Conclusion

This concludes our post on how to play your Xbox on Mac. We understand that there can be quite a lot of animosity between Windows and iOS users, however, Microsoft and Apple have negotiated terms where you can access Microsoft Xbox games on Apple devices easily. 

There are a few options available for you to stream Xbox games on your Mac. Two of these options include running Parallels or through the use of an app called OneCast that allows you to stream games in 1080p quality. 

In this post, we discussed how you can sign up with different streaming services that give you free access to Xbox games on your Mac. 

However, at the end of the day, the best way to play Xbox games on your Mac is through Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service which gives you easy access and great gameplay. 

Let us know if you have any more questions.