Bring peace to your home. How to stream and play your console screen on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS

The living room is occupied again.

Families with gamers often compete for TV and living room. We have two gamers in our house, so it's not uncommon for us to be long-term. However, it would be a problem if TV was occupied for such a long time.

This is good news for those of you who think you need to talk about winter break.

Gizmodo's David Nield teaches you how to stream and play your console screen on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

In an ideal world, you'd want your game to be played on a big TV screen in your living room.

In an ideal world. But unfortunately, the family and housemates who want to relax in the living room will not be silent. There is good news for those narrow-shouldered gamers. Let's teach you how to stream games that make your home happy by model. The ultimate trick is to play console games on other computers and mobile devices. It's much easier than you think.

It's going to be a lot of work to write, so I'll limit myself to the Sony and Microsoft consoles for the sake of simplicity. Nintendo consoles do not support this type of streaming. Also, this only works if your phone and computer are on the same local Wi-Fi network. It's possible to access your game console and games from a location other than your home, but please note that the methods described here require additional configuration and are not covered here.

This is the environment if you want to stream on your Windows, macOS, or iOS device at home. Unfortunately, streaming in the Android environment is limited, but we are introducing it as much as possible.

Xbox One S and Xbox One X

Streaming on Windows Devices

This is the simplest setup. Both Windows 10 and Xbox are Microsoft products. Streaming Xbox games to Windows 10 computers on the same network is the simplest. The key is your Microsoft account. Access the Accounts section from the top left image of the home screen on your Xbox One console, or from Settings on Windows 10, and make sure you're logged into the same account on both. Same account is ok. Setting is another breath. On the Xbox One Settings page, make sure Xbox app connections, only profiles signed in to this Xbox are selected, and Allow streaming on other devices is checked. To do.

Once confirmed, launch the Xbox app from the Windows 10 Start menu. You can select the console by displaying the connection options from the menu on the left. Select the stream once connected.

Unless you are using a laptop and your Xbox One is within range, the controller will connect to Windows 10. Connect your Xbox controller using a USB cable or connect via Bluetooth. No special software is required for this setup.

Once you connect the controller, voila! Your Xbox One will appear on your computer. The image may be a little grainy, but the processing itself is done on the Xbox One, so it doesn't require much computer resources.

When I tested it, I was able to play over Wi-Fi with almost no lag (Sony's remote play, which is described later, also has almost no lag). Streaming depends on the robustness of the LAN, so speeds can be improved. After that, in order to stabilize the connection, we recommend connecting both the Xbox and the Windows machine with an Ethernet cable.

Stream on your Apple device

Until now, this wasn't possible on macOS or iOS, but with the advent of the third-party app OneCast, streaming is now possible. Only $12 (about 1,350 yen) for iOS and $ 20 (about 2,250 yen) for macOS, but please try the trial first.

macOS is similar to Windows. Enable game streaming in your Xbox settings and connect your Xbox One controller to your Mac via USB or Bluetooth (OneCast includes drivers).

Once OneCast launches, you will be asked to log in to your Microsoft account. This will allow your Xbox One to appear on your network. Click Connect and you will be able to control your Xbox One from the app. The operation on iOS is roughly the same. Your Xbox One will be detected when you register with your Microsoft account. The controller can be genuine or made by a third party. You can also use OneCast's on-screen controller. Unfortunately, there is currently no app for streaming Xbox One games to Android devices. That may change when Project xCloud comes to fruition.

PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 4 Pro

Streaming on Windows and macOS devices

For Sony's PlayStation 4, there are official PS4 Remote Play apps for Windows and macOS. Any desktop or laptop connected to the same local network can stream using the DualShock controller.

Enable remote play connection settings on the PlayStation 4 settings page. Once set up, download PS4 Remote Play to your Mac or Windows and follow the on-screen instructions. If you sign in with your PlayStation account, the connection is complete.

Once connected, connect the DualShock controller via USB or wireless USB adapter and the PS4 display will appear on your computer. The full screen icon on the bottom right makes the screen easier to see.

I know you can play on macOS and Windows, but what about smartphones? PS4 Remote Play is officially available on Android. However, it can only be used with Sony's Xperia series models.

Is there hope for the rest of Android? That's not true. There should always be some way. Stream your PS4 on your computer and plug it into your Android. However, it is a flaw that the reaction of the game feels a little slow.

Stream on your iOS device

On iOS, there are third-party apps. R-Play for iOS is just $12. However, remote play on PS4 is possible, and you can play smoothly on iPhone or iPad.

The resolution is up to 1080p on PS4 Pro and up to 720p on other consoles. The frame rate is 60fps and the gaming experience is very comfortable. Works with on-screen controls or compatible MFi game controllers.

As mentioned above, you need to enable Remote Play on your PS4. Create a PIN in the device's additional options. Enter the created code and PlayStationNetwork (PSN) ID into R-Play (no password required) and you're done.

The resolution and frame rate can be customized within the app. Check out the detailed user manual that comes with the app for more details. You should be able to set it up without too much trouble.

It's a shame that neither Microsoft nor Sony offer many streaming options for mobile devices. I don't think there's much demand for it, and it's true that it's difficult to control on a small screen. But if you're looking to play games on a mobile device, it's iOS. This will bring peace to your home.