Can You Play Xbox Discs on PC?

There are many similarities between a modern Xbox gaming console and a PC. So much so that an Xbox Series X is nothing more than a good mid-range gaming PC.

The core hardware it uses is made by the same company that makes hardware for PCs too, i.e. AMD. In addition to that, both Xbox and PCs technically belong to the same company, Windows.

The fact that Windows OS and Xbox are both developed by Microsoft can make many of you question “Can you play Xbox Discs on PC?”

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is a big no. You CANNOT play Xbox discs on PC. While related in terms of hardware, they are two completely different environments.

In the following text, I will explain why you cannot play games on both platforms interchangeably. I will also talk about the prospects of Xbox Play Anywhere, Streaming games on Windows 10 and cross-play and what they entail.

Xbox and PC Are Two Different Environments

Again, while both Xbox and PC may share the same developer or parent company, they are vastly in different in terms of their architectures.

The developers use different toolsets when making games for each of the two platforms and hence, while games can be released for multiple platforms, a game purchased on Xbox CANNOT be played on PC or PS5 or any other platform.

When developers make games for PC, they have to make the games adaptable to several different types of hardware and software configurations.

With Xbox, however, that is not the case. Here the developers have a single set of hardware and software to work with. This is the reason why console games are generally more optimized compared to PC games.

The point I am trying to make here is that the nature of game development itself is different for PC and Xbox.

So Can You Play Xbox Discs on PC?

The short and simple answer to this question is no. You CANNOT play Xbox discs on PC. As such, do not even attempt to insert an Xbox disc into a PC disc drive. 

If you have bought a game for Xbox it will NOT work on PC and vice versa. This not only applies to disc-based games but also to digital games!

However, not all is lost. You have several options that you can look into to synergize the two platforms:

The Xbox Play Anywhere Titles

Xbox Play Anywhere titles are special DIGITAL titles that you can download once and play on Windows 10 PC.

It should be noted that the emphasis here is on the fact that these titles are DIGITAL games.

Hence, if you have a disc-based game, then the Play Anywhere feature will simply not work on PC.

Also, these special titles are few in number, and they have to be bought through the Xbox Store. Again reiterating the fact this feature is not supported for disc-based games.

Here is a list of all the Xbox Play Anywhere titles.

You will note that the majority of the Play Anywhere titles are older and lesser-known titles.

But, with Xbox and Windows ecosystems, the story does not just end there:

Streaming From Xbox to Windows 10 / 11

Thanks to the Microsoft ecosystem, you do get one great benefit if you have an Xbox Console and Windows PC.

One amazing feature that you can utilize if you have a Windows 10/ 11 PC and an Xbox One or Series X/S console is that you can directly stream your games onto the PC.

The following video explains the process in detail, but generally speaking:

1. You need to allow games to stream to other devices via Settings and Xbox app connectivity.
2. Head over to the Xbox App on Windows 10 / 11 and connect to your Xbox console.

Again, while this is not the answer to the question “Can you play Xbox discs on PC?” that you may be looking for but it is certainly a workaround.

The benefit of a setup like this is that you DO NOT need to have a gaming PC.

All you need to have is both your Xbox and PC to be connected to the same network for a lag-free experience.

Gaming done on PC will NOT tax your PC’s hardware, instead, it will use the hardware of your Xbox.

It should be noted that this method DOES NOT work the other way around. Meaning, if you have games on your Steam, Epic, or Origin account on PC, you will NOT be able to play them via Xbox console.

Also Read: Xbox Series S Equivalent PC

The Prospects of Crossplay Between Xbox and PC

If your intention is to play with your friends on different platforms, you can do so if the game in question has the crossplay feature enabled.

Cross-play is essentially a feature that allows gamers on one platform to play with gamers on another platform i.e. Xbox players against PC or PS5 players and vice versa.

It should be noted, however, that not all games support crossplay features.

Here is a list of some of the games that do support crossplay between PC and Xbox:

• Among Us
• Apex Legends
• Back 4 Blood: PC
• Borderlands 3
• Brawlhalla
• COD: Modern Warfare 2
• COD: Warzone
• COD: Warzone 2
• COD: Vanguard
• Deep Rock Galactic
• Destiny 2
• Diablo 4
• Farming Simulator 22
• Fortnite
• For Honor
• GRID Legends
• Minecraft
• Monster Hunter
• Overwatch 2
• PGA Tour 2K23
• Quake
• Riders Republic
• Suicide Squad
• The Ascent
• Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands
• Warframe

In a nutshell, the answer to the question “Can you play Xbox Disc on PC?” is still a resounding no. However, thanks to cloud gaming and streaming, you do have some good options for playing Xbox games on PC.