How to use Mixer to stream Xbox One games

Here's how to stream your Xbox games on Microsoft's Mixer live-streaming service.

What on earth is Mixer, you ask? You thought everyone streamed on Twitch or YouTube? A relative upstart in the streaming game was scooped up by Microsoft and suddenly found itself in the limelight.

You might find yourself wondering how to get started with it, and how to share your Xbox One games (other consoles are also available) with the world. Well, you have two options: You can share directly from the console, or by using additional hardware and software for a more customized broadcast.

That hardware will be a capture card and your PC, as well as some broadcasting software. Two of the most popular options are Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) which is free, and XSplit, which requires a subscription for the full feature set.

You'll also need to sign up for a free account on the Mixer website. You can either sign up using your email or login with Twitter, Discord or your Microsoft Account.

The best capture card

If you're going down the capture card route, our current top pick is the Elgato HD60S. It offers fast, almost lag-free capture over USB-C 3.0 while maintaining a portable external card form. Ultimate performance is better on the HD60 Pro and the new 4K60 Pro, but for streamers, the latter is overkill.

And not everyone has a desktop PC to house an internal capture card.

The HD60S is about $160, which isn't a small investment, but you can guarantee some quality results.

More: Elgato HD60 S review

See at Amazon

How to stream on Mixer from the Xbox One

This one's easy, but you have to have your Microsoft Account and your Mixer account linked if you signed up in the old days of Beam.

While you're inside any game on your console, simply press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide. Scroll down to the broadcast tab and select broadcast your game.

You have some simple options to deal with first, such as naming your stream and setting up your audio and camera if you're using a Kinect. Hit start broadcast when you're ready, and off you go.

How to stream on Mixer using OBS

1. Login to your account at mixer.com
2. Click on your avatar.
3. Click manage channel.

4. Click the copy button next to the blurred box that houses the stream key.

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

5. Select Settings in OBS Studio.

6. Select the Stream tab on the left sidebar.

7. Select Mixer from the drop-down box for desired streaming service.

8. In the box below paste the stream key you copied from your Mixer dashboard.

More: Beginner's guide to setting up and streaming with OBS

How to stream on Mixer using XSplit

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

1. In XSplit Broadcaster select Extensions.
2. Scroll down and select Get more extensions.
3. In the Plugin Store you see, click on the Show Outputs button.
4. Select Mixer.
5. To add Mixer chat, select Show Sources in the Plugin Store.
6. Select Mixer Chat Viewer.

You now have native support for streaming to Mixer added to XSplit. From here it's very easy to set up your stream:

1. In XSplit Broadcaster, go to the Outputs menu.
2. Scroll down to Set up a new output, and then select Mixer.
3. In the window that appears, click Authorize.
4. You'll now be taken to Mixer to log in with your account information.
5. Once you're all logged in, go to the Outputs menu again.
6. Click on the settings cog next to your account.
7. The settings menu will now open allowing you to customize your output, including audio and video bitrate, as well as name your stream.

That's all there is to it. These basic steps will help you set up your Mixer account for streaming, but there are other things to consider, such as bitrate. You might have the fastest broadband on earth, but your viewers may not, so you need to strike a balance.

XSplit does allow you to test your bandwidth against your stream settings before going live, which is handy. In my case, I'm set to 900p at 3500 bitrate as it strikes a good balance of quality, what my upload speed can handle and most of all, providing a good experience for the viewers.

More: Beginner's guide to setting up and streaming with XSplit

How to 'co-stream' on Mixer

"Co-streaming" is one of the best features to arrive along with the relaunch of Beam as Mixer. It means you and up to three other people can stream at the same time and broadcast through one channel. For example, if you're all playing on the same team in a first-person shooter such as Battlefield 1 or Destiny, you can all show a different point of view while also broadcasting your party chats. It's insane!

The set up can be a bit involved, but we have a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know.

How to start a co-stream on Mixer

If you're ever lurking on Mixer, be sure to give Windows Central a follow!

Updated March 20, 2018: Steps and images updated to reflect current versions of XSplit, OBS and the Xbox One OS.