Xbox Cloud Gaming is our technology that allows you to play over 100 console games on the devices you already have with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a compatible controller. As part of your Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership, you can enjoy the console games you love, the people you want to play together with, on the devices you already have, all. While we Mac users have long awaited Microsoft to give us an official Xbox app for MacOS (much like the Windows 10 version), I have been trying to find a way to emulate the Xbox app on Mac, for useful input into in-game text chat in games like Warframe when it can get very tiresome to use the app on a phone.
Xbox Remote Play
Xbox One Guide
Nowadays, Xbox One is not only a game console for us, it’s also a great media player for movie lovers. For Windows users, they can easily stream video from PC to Xbox by using the “Play To” function. However, it’s not an easy task to stream video from Mac to Xbox One, as they were exactly designed to work well with each other. But that doesn't mean you cannot stream video from Mac. Here I'll introduce several methods to get the job done. You can also check out this page to find more solutions.
Method 1: Use SofaPlay
Method 2: Use Plex Media Server
Method 1: Use SofaPlay
SofaPlay is an easy-to-use app which enables you to stream video from Mac to Xbox One. Follow the steps below to see how it works. Before action, please make sure your Mac and Xbox One are in the same network.
Step 1: Install this app
First you should download and install SofaPlay from the Mac App Store.
Step 2: Connect the app to Xbox One
Make sure you have Xbox Video app on your Xbox One console. Also make sure that streaming is enabled in the settings on your Xbox. Go to Settings > Preferences > “Allow Play To Streaming” and check it.
Then Open SofaPlay on your Mac and select the Xbox-SystemOS option from the list.
Step 3: Starting streaming
Drag a video file into SofaPlay and after a while it should start a playing on your Xbox One.
Method 2: Use Plex Media Server
Plex has long been the go-to solution for users who want to stream video to other devices. Now it already supported Xbox One. So you can use it to stream videos from Mac to Xbox One.
Step 1: Set up Plex
Download Plex from its official website. Then copy it to your Applications folder.
Launch Plex on your Mac. Then you’ll be asked to login with a Plex account. You can skip this step by choosing “Don’t want an account?”.
Then you will need to read and accept the End User Agreement. After that, Plex will begin setting up. Then it will ask you to sign up again, just ignore this message.
Follow the setup wizard, hit “Next” to just leave the default options. Then you’ll go to the “Add Section” page. Choose “Movies” and select the folder where your movies are stored, then click “Save”.
Plex will then ask whether you want to add channel or not. If you don’t like this, skip this and click “Done” to finish the setup.
Xbox Game Pass App For Mac
Step 2: Start streaming
With the lasted update to Xbox One (Oct 2014), you can now use a new app called Media Player to work with your Plex Media Server perfectly and stream all the video you have set up with it. To do it:
Open Apps and Games from your Start screen. Then from the Apps menu, open Media Player.
After a few seconds, your Plex Media Server will show up. Then select on your server and find the video you want to play. You should now be streaming your video from Mac to your Xbox One.
Updated 06/28/21: Xbox Cloud Gaming through the browser is now available to all Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. This article has been updated throughout with the latest information from Microsoft.
Xbox Game Streaming On Mac
Last year, we wrote about how Apple’s restrictive App Store rules would cause millions of gamers to miss out on Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming service (née xCloud). Microsoft later updated the Xbox app to stream games over your local network from your own Xbox, but that’s not the same thing as a cloud gaming service where you don’t need to download or install games at all.
After months of hand-wringing and probably back-room negotiations, Microsoft finally announced that it would build a web-based solution for devices on which it can’t provide an app, like iPhone and iPad. After a short invite-only beta period, Microsoft has announced that all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now enjoy Xbox Cloud Gaming on Mac, iPhone, or iPad. To play, simply visit xbox.com/play using Edge, Chrome, or Safari browsers on your Apple device.
Xbox Streaming App Microsoft Store
Most games are made to be played with a controller, but Apple’s devices support modern Xbox controllers just fine. Just sync it to your Mac as you would any Bluetooth device, or plug in via USB. On iPhone or iPad, we have a guide to pairing your Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S controller.
Xbox Streaming App For Mac
In addition to the broad availability of Xbox Cloud Gaming (formerly code-named xCloud) to all subscribers, Microsoft has upgraded the servers that run the games in the cloud to new hardware based on the Xbox Series X. This means faster performance, much quicker loading times, and better visual quality. Games will stream at 1080p and 60fps, but the company says that “Going forward we’ll continue to innovate and add more features to enhance your cloud gaming experience.”
On Xbox, all saved games are always synced to the cloud, as is other user data like friends lists and achievements. So everything you do on a console will be there waiting for you in the cloud, and vice-versa.
Free Xbox Streaming App For Mac
The Xbox Cloud Gaming expansion comes along with an expansion of Xbox-ready game accessories for iPhones. The popular Razer Kishi controller, originally only for Android phones, now has an MFi-certified version for iPhones. The new Backbone One controller for iPhone features a dedicated button to launch the Xbox Cloud Gaming web app. For a limited time, Microsoft is offering three-month free trial to new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members with the purchase of either controller.