Initial Setup

Before you may use OneCast for the first time, you must register your Xbox One as follows:

  1. You must have your Mac connected to the same network as your Xbox One. For most people, this means the Mac will be connected to their home network via WiFi, and the Xbox One connected to the same network via LAN cable. Both Xbox One and Mac must be able to connect to the internet in order for game streaming to work.
  2. Make sure that game streaming is enabled on your Xbox One by going to Settings - Preferences - Xbox app connectivity, then making sure the following two settings are configured:

    [ Only from profiles signed in on this Xbox ]
    [ Allow game streaming to other devices ]
  3. Turn on your Xbox One and sign in with the gamertag that you wish to use for game streaming.
  4. On the OneCast main window, press the Register Xbox One button.
  5. The app will scan your network for Xbox One consoles. If your Xbox One was not found, then please attempt the manual registration according to the instructions in the Manual Xbox One registration section below.
  6. At this point you must sign in to the Microsoft account corresponding to the Xbox Live gamertag that you wish to use for game streaming. You will be presented with the external Microsoft account sign in website; complete the sign in process to continue. 
  7. After a brief loading period, you should receive a message confirming that the Xbox One is now registered - congratulations, you may now enjoy remote gaming with OneCast!

General Usage

Once your Xbox One is registered, simply press the Connect button from the OneCast main window to connect to the console. If your Xbox One is turned off (and you have set the Power mode to Instant-on in Settings) then it will be turned on - this means that there is no need to leave the Xbox One turned on all the time; you can leave it off and it will automatically be turned on when OneCast connects. Please note that if you have set Power mode to Energy-saving then it will not be possible for OneCast to turn the console on automatically.

OneCast supports the creation of multiple Xbox One profiles. A profile links to a specific Xbox Live gamertag on a specific Xbox One console. If you have multiple consoles and/or multiple Xbox Live gamertags, then you can create a separate profile for each. Then when you wish to connect to a different console or gamertag, you can simply select the corresponding profile from the drop down box on the OneCast main window.

By default OneCast is set up start streaming in full screen mode. You can change this behaviour via the Video menu. The quality of video streamed from the Xbox One can be configured from profile settings drop down on the main window (revealed by clicking the downward arrow button). The video quality may be selected between Very High, High, Medium and Low, with High being the default. The higher the quality the sharper the video, but the more bandwidth will be required. If you are experiencing a poor connection (video/audio stuttering, jagged movements) then try lowering this setting.

When you wish to stop playing and disconnect from the Xbox One, simply close the stream window.

Control Methods

OneCast supports three control methods: you may connect an Xbox One controller to your Mac via USB or Bluetooth, or you may instead simply connect your controller directly to your Xbox One console. Any controllers connected to your Mac will be shown in the Controller menu, and if you have multiple controllers connect then you may select the active controller here. Additional details regarding each connection method as follows:

  • Bluetooth: Only some controllers may be connected via Bluetooth, please click here for information on which controllers are supported and click here for instructions on how to pair supported controllers with your Mac.
  • USB: Before you may connect Xbox One controllers via USB, the Xbox Controller Driver must be installed (if this is not yet installed on your Mac, you can install this from the Controller menu). Please note that the USB controller driver is a third party software package that is not affiliated with OneCast - click here for it's website. At the current time, USB connection is not compatible with macOS Catalina.
  • Direct connection to Xbox One: You may simply connect the Xbox One wireless controller to your console as usual but only if you're physically close enough to your Xbox One, because in this case the controller will be connected to your console and not your Mac. If you wish to play this way then please ensure that the controller is turned on and connected to the console before establishing a game streaming connection with OneCast.

Manual Xbox One registration

In rare cases, your networking configuration may prevent your Xbox One from being detected during the registration process. If OneCast was unable to find your console during registration, then you may attempt to perform a manual registration. The process is similar to that outlined in the Initial Setup section above, except during registration when no Xbox One devices are found on your network, then you will be asked to enter the IP address of your Xbox One. You must enter the IP address of your Xbox One on the local network into this field. To obtain the IP address, on your Xbox One navigate to Settings - Network - Network Settings - Advanced Settings and take note of the value shown for IP Address.

For example, in the above image the IP address is 192.168.1.4

Enter this into the IP address field on the registration screen and press Scan, and OneCast will re-attempt to find a console using the provided IP address. You should be able to continue with the registration from step 6 in the Initial Setup section above.

Please note that the IP address of your Xbox One may change intermittently (and is more likely to change if you fully power the Xbox One off). If in future you are suddenly no longer able to connect to the Xbox One then check its IP address as before, and if it has changed then enter the new IP address into the Manual local IP address field in the profile settings drop down. You may also wish to assign a static IP address to your Xbox One so that the IP address will not change in future; for instructions see: http://portforward.com/networking/static-ip-xbox-one/

Troubleshooting

If you cannot control games through OneCast using controllers connected to your Mac:
  • If you have an wireless Xbox One controller turned on and connected to the console (as opposed to connected to your Mac), first turn off the wireless controller, then re-connect to the console with OneCast
  • Ensure that OneCast is connecting using the same gamertag that is currently signed in and using the Xbox One console
  • If you're trying to use a USB controller, verify that you have installed the Xbox Controller Driver. If this is not yet installed, you will see Install the Xbox One controller USB driver in the Controller menu. Click this to begin the installation process.
  • The controller may have gone to sleep due to inactivity. For USB connected controllers, remove the USB cable from the controller then re-insert. For Bluetooth connected controllers, hold the X button until the controller turns back on and connects with your Mac.
If you experience poor connection quality:
  • Connect your Mac to the network via a 5GHz WiFi connection instead of 2.4GHz if possible (or even better, using an Ethernet adaptor). 5GHz networks are generally much less congested and experience less interference.
  • Lower the video quality profile settings drop down.
  • Use a LAN cable to connect your Xbox One to the network.
If the Xbox One registration fails:
  • OneCast reports error 7004, 8009, 8009 or 8011: your Mac must be able to connect to the internet in order to perform Xbox One registration. Ensure that you are able to connect to the internet.
  • OneCast reports error 4003: Please fully power off your console (pull the power cord out and leave disconnected for 30 seconds, this step is important), turn it back on, and try again.
  • Ensure both Xbox One and Mac are on the same network. On the Mac, open the WiFi settings and ensure that it has not unexpectedly changed to a different WiFi connection.
  • IPv6 networks are not currently supported. Ensure that both your Xbox One and Mac are connected to an IPv4 network.
  • If OneCast was unable to find your Xbox One and you are sure that both your Xbox One and Mac are on the same network, then attempt a manual registration according to the steps outlined in the Manual Xbox One registration section above.
If you cannot connect to the Xbox One:
  • Ensure that both Xbox One and Mac are on the same network. On the Mac, open the WiFi settings and ensure that it has not unexpectedly changed to a different WiFi connection.
  • OneCast reports error 7004, 8009, 8009 or 8011: your iOS device must be able to connect to the internet in order to use game streaming. Ensure that you are able to connect to the internet.
  • OneCast reports error 2004 or 4005: The gamertag you are using for game streaming must be signed in on the Xbox One. Ensure that the gamertag is signed in and try again.
  • OneCast reports error 4003: Please fully power off your console (pull the power cord out and leave disconnected for 30 seconds, this step is important), turn it back on, and try again.
  • If your Xbox One has its Power mode set to Energy-saving, then you must manually power the console on before you can connect with OneCast.
  • If you had previously registered your Xbox One using the manual registration method, then check to see if the IP address of your Xbox One has changed and no longer matches the value entered into the Manual local IP address field. If the IP address has changed, enter the new IP address into the Manual local IP address field.