Xbox Series X can now play Steam games with this trick — here's how

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You can now play Half Life 2 on your Xbox Series X

Xbox Series X Steam streaming
(Image credit: Unsplash)

Xbox Series X gamers just got a huge upgrade, that is, as long as they're part of the Xbox Insiders program.

It's now possible to stream a user's Steam library through GeForce Now while using the Microsoft Edge browser of Xbox Series X/S. The trick should also available for standard Xbox One users as well. 

This exploit was first discovered by YouTuber Joe Chip (h/t GamesRadar+). He found that people who are in the Xbox Insiders program, and more specifically in the "Alpha Skip-Ahead" tier of the preview program, will have access to the latest version of the Microsoft Edge browser. This latest update allows users to play GeForce Now through a browser. 

To get it running, users have to go to type in this specific link: 

https://play.geforcenow.com/mall/#/layout/games

From there, users can log into their GeForce Now account. 

According to Chip, it's not a perfect solution to play your PC library on Xbox. First, only games that support the controller will work. He tried getting Quake II RTX running, just to find that it only has keyboard and mouse support. Weirdly, while Edge does allow keyboard use, there's no mouse functionality at this time. 

Chip also found the overall process to be finicky. Some games that do have controller support would work, but then sometimes it wouldn't. This would force Chip to restart Edge and try again. 

For example, in one instance Chip tried getting Wreckfest to run. His first attempt caused Microsoft Edge to crash. But when he tried again, it worked with full controller functionality. 

Because GeForce now streams games via the internet, to get things working as seamlessly as possible, it's best to have consoles connected via Ethernet. For Chip, he found the overall responsiveness to be adequate for gameplay. Of course, considering Wreckfest is available natively on Xbox One, it's best to play it there versus streaming it.

At the moment, neither Microsoft or Nvidia have announced native GeForce Now support.

Imad Khan
Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.