Mac Xbox Game Bar

If you want to play Microsoft Xbox games on your Mac there are two easy ways to do so. One is by running Windows on your Mac using Parallels and the other is via an app called OneCast. You May Also Like: The Best VR Headsets For Mac. The Xbox app keeps you connected to your gaming community on your phone or tablet. Easily share game clips & screenshots, chat, view achievements, and get notifications. Plus, play games from your console. With the Xbox app setup or join an Xbox party. Get together and chat with friends as you move. Xbox Game Bar is a customizable gaming overlay compatible with most PC games. Having this utility will give you instant access to several useful widgets for screen capture and sharing, finding new teammates with LFG, as well as allowing for chatting with Xbox friends across Xbox console, mobile, and PC without ever leaving your current game.

Now that Microsoft's Mixer is no more, Xbox One streamers might well be looking for a new home. Microsoft and Facebook have partnered up to make transitioning to Facebook Gaming from Mixer a painless process and it's a good platform to stream on. The biggest difference is that you can't stream directly from the console so you will need a PC, a capture card and some software. In this guide we'll walk you through setting up in two of the most popular apps, OBS and XSplit.

Products used in this guide

Console: Xbox One X ($399 at Newegg)
Capture card: AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra ($250 at Dell)
Great software: OBS Studio (Free at OBS Project)
More great software: XSplit (From $25 at XSplit)

Before you begin

Before you get going you'll need to make sure you have a Facebook Gaming creator page all set up. It's not a difficult process, but in order to make sure your streams are in the right place on Facebook, and build your community, it needs to be done.

Luckily, you can follow our full guide to getting started on Facebook Gaming to help you through it.

How to connect your Xbox One to your PC

To get going on Facebook Gaming you'll need your PC and a capture card like the AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra.

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Setting up is a doddle though and you'll get everything extra you need in the box with your capture card.

Connect the HDMI output from your Xbox One to the HDMI input on your capture card.
Connect the HDMI output from your capture card to the HDMI input on your TV.
Connect the capture card to your PC with the included USB cable.

You'll also need to make sure you've installed the relevant drivers for your particular capture card which you'll be able to get from the support sections on the manufacturer's website.

How to stream on Facebook Gaming using OBS

OBS is a free, open-source piece of broadcast software that's as powerful as it is popular. It acts as the middle-ground between your Xbox One and Facebook Gaming, taking video from your console, passed into a capture card, and then encoding it for broadcast. Getting set up is a pretty straightforward process.

Go to your streamer dashboard.
Under the latest stream section, click on go live.
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Click the connect tab.
Check the box next to use a persistent stream key.
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You can now copy your stream key (and DO NOT give it to anyone else.)

That's what you need to do on the Facebook Gaming website. Next, you should fire up your broadcasting software, in this case, OBS Studio.

Select Settings in OBS Studio.
Select the Stream tab on the left sidebar.
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Select Facebook Live from the drop-down box for desired streaming service.
In the box below paste the stream key you copied from your dashboard.
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Our full guide to streaming with OBS will help you with more specifics and advanced features. Additionally, there's Streamlabs OBS, which is a similar program, but it's integrated with the Streamlabs platform.

How to stream on Facebook Gaming using XSplit

XSplit is another popular piece of broadcasting software, though unlike OBS, it isn't free. It's very powerful, though, and very easy to use for newcomers and experienced streamers alike.

The first thing to do is to ensure you have the Facebook Live extensions added to XSplit.

In XSplit Broadcaster select Extensions.
Scroll down and select Get more extensions.
In the Plugin Store, click on the Show Outputs button.
Select Facebook Live.

You now have native support for streaming to Facebook Gaming added to XSplit. From here it's straightforward to set up your stream:

In XSplit Broadcaster, go to the Outputs menu.
Scroll down to Set up a new output, and then select Facebook Live.
In the window that appears, click Authorize.
You'll now be taken through the login process.
Next, in the first drop down box, ensure you select page to make sure XSplit streams to your Facebook Gaming page.
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If you wish, you can change resolution, bitrate and your encoder here, too.
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That's all there is to it. These basic steps will help you set up your Facebook Gaming account for streaming. You'll need to set things like resolution and bitrate manually based on a few different factors, including your PC and your broadband connection. Facebook does handle 1080p60 streams, but in most cases 720p60 with a bitrate of 4000 is currently recommended.

XSplit does also allow you to test your bandwidth against your stream settings before going live, which is handy. Our full guide can help you work through getting the best from your XSplit powered streams.

Our favorite gear

Streaming is a lot of fun, and it's important to remember that you and your enjoyment is more important than the gear you use. But good gear makes some elements easier, and these are some of our favorite products for streaming Xbox One games.

Xbox One X

The best Xbox console ever made. Nay, the best console ever made. Period.

AVerMedia Live Gamer Ultra

Xbox One Mac

Capable of up to 4K capturing and streaming, this is the external capture card to get for the Xbox One X.

OBS Studio

Xbox Game Bar Mac

A powerful and free piece of software to broadcast with, and the latest version has some serious performance improvements for NVIDIA users.

XSplit Broadcaster

XSplit requires a subscription, but it's very easy to use, has a bunch of plugins, and supports Facebook chat and reaction overlays as well.

Hi Parallels fans – my name is Megan, and I’m the Social Media Community Manager for Parallels, and I am SUPER excited to talk about streaming Xbox One games to your Mac via Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac! I am a gamer at heart, and as much as I’d like to game on my Mac, Macs are just not yet the ultimate gaming machines (despite our ongoing efforts here at Parallels). So at home, I have a number of rigs and consoles – one of my favorites being the Xbox One. When Microsoft announced that the Xbox Ones were upgrading to Windows 10, AND they were implementing a streaming option on a local network from Xbox One to Windows 10 PC, I was curious, but it didn’t pique my interests. It wasn’t until I found a Parallels user on Reddit talking about streaming to their Mac via a Windows 10 virtual machine that I got really excited!

Streaming from Xbox One to Parallels Desktop 12 for Mac

To get started, you’ll need to adjust your settings in your Xbox One. If you haven’t yet, go into your settings and check that your Xbox One can stream to other devices. (Video below!)

Once your Xbox One is prepared to stream, go to your Mac and start your Windows 10 virtual machine in Parallels Desktop for Mac.

When you go to the start menu for Windows 10, Click on the green Xbox One app.

Once in the app click on the bottom left (second from the bottom) icon for devices, and then add your device. Keep in mind, for this to work your Mac and your Xbox One have to both be on the same network. (If you’re lucky, Windows 10 will already have found your Xbox One on the same network. If not, you’ll need to add the IP Address your Xbox One is on.)

You’ll need your Xbox One controller connected to your Mac – so either plug in the micro USB cable to your Mac, or invest in one of the new Xbox One blue tooth controllers! When your Mac recognizes your Xbox One and that you have a controller connected, you are all good to go!

I think I know what you’re going to ask…

I know the first question is going to be Why would I want to go from my 32″ television thats connected to my Xbox One, to my 15″ MacBook Pro?

Fair question. Let me ask, have you ever wanted to play one of your Xbox One games that’s in the living room, while lying in bed? Do you argue with your roommates about who gets to play the Xbox One of the PS4 on the big TV each night? Have you wanted to play one of your Xbox One games, but it might not be appropriate for the kids to watch while playing in the living room? This streaming option is a great solution to all of these problems!

Mac Xbox Game Bar Pc

It’s obvious that if you’re streaming to a Macbook thats mobile, then you can take your Xbox One games as far as your Wi-Fi will let you. (My personal favorite is lazy weekends when I want to stay in bed and stream to my Mac) The other questions I posed are really more about playing your Xbox One when the TV isn’t going to be available. This is the option that has been a life saver in my house and marriage since we argue over who is gaming at what time. Since the PC gaming rig is connected to the same TV that the Xbox One is, my husband and I have butted heads about who gets to play. But now, try this! Turn on the TV and the Xbox One and then connect to stream to your Windows 10 Virtual Machine via Parallels Desktop for Mac. Then, while keeping the Xbox One powered on, change the input on the TV to (in our case) the PC gaming rig, and now we’re both playing!

I’ve streamed to my Mac puzzle games like Tumblestone (I hope you picked it up when it was free with Xbox Gold – great puzzle game!) as well as high graphic games like Halo 5 and Fallout 4. Here is the fine print you’re going to need to know streaming to your Parallels Desktop for Mac Windows 10 virtual machine: It’s not the virtualization that will slow you down, the real kicker is how fast your network speed it. If you are streaming wirelessly to your Macbook Air, you’re going to find a lot of lag between you and your Xbox. Our recommendation is to hard wire both Xbox One, and your Mac.

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I’ve listened to all our customers on twitter, I know gaming is really important to you. (Me too!) I really hope streaming from your Xbox One to your Mac gets you a little more gaming time in your day. Commend below and let me know what you’re playing! Me and a few of the Parallels team here in Seattle are always looking for what new game we should be trying out!