Can i use my laptop as a monitor for my xbox one

Can you post the exact make and model of your laptop to check if it's a laptop with HDMI-In?

Just be aware that 99% of laptops do NOT have a HDMI in port, as that would cost additional licensing fees from the HDMI consortium, and since most people don't need a HDMI in, they always try to cut these costs by not including a HDMI in. 

If there is only one HDMI port on your laptop, then it's only a HDMI out port, and you can't use it to connect your Xbox to it.

In most cases, you're better off buying a cheap computer monitor with HDMI input and use that, in case your laptop only has HDMI out. 

Type of abuse Harassment or threats Inappropriate/Adult content Nudity Profanity Software piracy SPAM/Advertising Virus/Spyware/Malware danger Other Term of Use or Code of Conduct violation Child exploitation or abuse

Details (required):

51 people found this reply helpful

Was this reply helpful?

Great! Thanks for your feedback.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

How satisfied are you with this reply?

Thanks for your feedback.

If you’re a self proclaimed avid gamer, and you consider yourself pretty clued up when it comes to the world of playing online, you will know that there is a fairly big divide between those and their choice of machinery: some prefer playing on a PC, while others use consoles.

The most popular choice of consoles of our generation are, of course, PlayStations and Xboxes, although there are hundreds of others out there that get used every single day. While those who favor PlayStation and those who prefer Xbox have their own separate rivalry, console gamers and PC gamers have been feuding since the very beginning, as so many swear that PCs are the best for playing games.

This debate has gone on for many years, and there are arguments for and against each machine.

If you’re here, and you’re reading this article, I am going to assume you’re a console player. More specifically, your console of choice is the Microsoft Xbox, whether that be the more recent Xbox One X, the pretty recent Xbox One, or the older, still fairly reliable Xbox 360.

Xbox has been around since 2001, through the release of the original console, simply called ‘The Xbox’, and has remained extremely popular throughout the years, famously rivaling the most popular gaming company of our generation, and of all time, PlayStation (this is not an opinion, but a fact: the PlayStation 2 is, to this day, the best selling game console of all time).

However, if you’re on Team Xbox, the likelihood is not much is going to change your mind at this point. Our favoritisms tend to stem from the console that we grew up with, and if yours was an Xbox, that will most likely be your favorite for the foreseeable future.

We’re not here to judge, or start any wars against Xbox and PlayStation owners. Today, we’re here to focus on the Xbox players, and if that happens to be you, we’re here to help you.

In this article, we’re going to be looking at one question in particular: can a laptop be used as a monitor for an Xbox?

Console Monitors

The most commonly used console monitor is, of course, the simple, trustworthy television. We have been using these machines since they were thick, black boxes, as wide as they were long, with hundreds of wires attached to the back.

As time has passed, and with technology rapidly improving throughout the generations, there have been other types of monitors being used to connect to our consoles. Most people still use televisions, although a lot of us have now moved onto flatter, wider screens. Others use computer monitors.

If you’re still reading, the odds are that while you already had a trustworthy monitor, something has gone wrong. Maybe your TV has broken, or something faulty has happened to your computer screen. Now, you’re searching for an alternative: a quick fix that, hopefully, won’t interrupt your gaming for too long.

You want to know if you can use your laptop instead.

Fortunately, this is absolutely doable. Your laptop is fully capable of being used as a monitor for your Xbox, and it is fairly simple to make happen.

Connecting Your Laptop to Your Xbox

1. Using HDMI Cables

This is one of the most simple ways of connecting a console to a monitor, and the way that most of us do it. HDMI cables are included with every recent console (obviously, this does not include the Xbox 360 or pretty much any console that came out before 2007), and they even come with certain brands of laptops.

However, if yours has gone missing, they can be found at fairly cheap prices if you need to buy yourself a new one.

1. Your first course of action is to identify the HDMI ports on both your Xbox and your laptop. In order for this method to work, one of your machines will need an input port, and the other will need an output port. Unfortunately, while all Xboxes have input ports, your laptop may have one too, and may not have an output port. If this is the case, this method will not work for you, and you should move onto the second option on the list. If your laptop does have an output port, you can continue reading.
2. Next, you will need to connect the HDMI to both the Xbox and the laptop. This is as simple as it sounds: you’ve already done the hard work by identifying where each port is. Now, you will simply need to plug the HDMI wire into the appropriate ports, connecting the laptop to the Xbox. Then, once both devices are switched on, you will need to pick the correct video source on your laptop, allowing the Xbox to appear on the screen.
3. Your job is complete! You are now ready to play your Xbox.

2. Using a Wireless Connection

So, this method may prove itself to be a little more tricky, but it can still be done. Using this method, you will be connecting your two devices through a wireless connection. As long as you follow these steps correctly, you should find no issue with this task.

1. Your laptop will need to have Windows 10 for PC installed for this method. You will also need to have an Ethernet connection readily available, and, of course, a WiFi connection. Without any of these, you will not be able to use this method to connect your devices.
2. Using your laptop’s internet browser, log into your Xbox Live account. If you don’t already have an Xbox Live account, you will need to create one.
3. Next, you will need to switch your Xbox console on. Once it is on, click on the connection icon on your desktop, and check that both your devices are connected to the same network. If they are, you should now be able to stream your Xbox games and media through your laptop screen.

Problem Solved!

Hopefully, by following one of the two guides we provided above, you have solved your problem and managed to connect your Xbox to your laptop screen, proving that you don’t have to be a tech expert to achieve the seemingly impossible. Congratulations! You did it.

We hope we helped, and we hope that you enjoy using your new monitor.

Game on!