How to play Xbox One games on Mac

The Xbox One and PS4 have come along leaps and bounds since the initial launch back in 2013, adding a myriad of new features that enhance the overall gaming experience. One of the biggest additions is the ability to play Xbox One games via a secondary source, but it’s sadly not available on macOS.

So, what are macOS-based Xbox One gamers supposed to do? Buy a PC to stream games to? Of course not. In fact, a third-party company has released software that allows gamers to play Xbox One games on Mac. If you want to play the latest Xbox One exclusives on your Mac, keep on reading to find out how.  

Can I play Xbox One games on my Mac?

Before we delve any further into the world of Xbox One games on Mac, we should ask whether it’s actually possible to do so.

So, can you pop an Xbox One game into your Mac and start playing with the Xbox One controller? Sadly not, although that would be quite the addition to macOS. Instead, as many gamers will already know, both Microsoft and Sony offer streaming services that allow you to play games via a secondary source; in this case, via your Mac.

But unlike Sony’s PS4 Remote Play, Microsoft’s streaming service isn’t officially supported on Mac, leaving Xbox One gamers out in the cold if they run macOS or OS X.

While that seems like it’d be the end of the discussion, a third-party company recently released OneCast, an Xbox One-focused app for Mac that allows you to stream Xbox One gameplay from the console to your Mac display, allowing you the same freedom that your PS4 brethren experience.  

If you’re interested in games that run natively on Mac, why not check out our list of the best Mac games of 2018?

How to stream Xbox One games on Mac

OneCast is a great client for Mac-based Xbox One gamers, and offers a myriad of benefits including Bluetooth and USB connectivity for Xbox One controllers, 1080p streaming and the ability to remotely connect to more than one console/gamertag.

The catch is that it isn’t free; you can pick it up on sale at the moment for $11.99 (around £9.99 in the UK) or take part in the free two-week trial to see if it’s the client for you. If you’re interested in how to set up OneCast on your Mac, carry on reading!

1. The first step is to head to the OneCast website and download the app. You can get a free trial for two weeks, and it’ll cost you around £9.99 if you want to carry on using it.
2. Open the DMG file that you’ve just downloaded, and drag the OneCast app into your Applications folder.
3. Open the OneCast app on your Mac. Make sure that both your Mac and Xbox One are connected to the same network, and that Game Streaming is enabled on your Xbox One (Settings > Preferences > Xbox App Connectivity).
4. Sign in to the gamertag you want to use for game streaming, and select “Register Xbox One” in OneCast to search for the console on your network.
5. Sign in to the Microsoft account that corresponds to the Xbox Live gamertag you want to use for gaming.
6. Wait a few seconds for the console to register, and voila! You’re ready to stream the latest Xbox One games to your Mac.

Here’s how to stream Xbox games to iPhone and iPad.