It’s probably been a long time since you set up your Xbox. Here are some settings you might want to check or adjust to optimize your gaming experience, privacy, and
1 Link Controller to Account
Linking your Xbox account to your controller saves you the tedium of picking a user account every time you want to play. It makes split-screen sessions smoother too, since anyone with an account and a unique controller can do so.
Head to Settings > Account > Sign-in, security & PIN and use “This controller signs in” to select your account. Now when you turn your controller on, you’ll be automatically signed in.
2 Manage Account Privacy
The ability to control who sees when you’re online or what you’ve been playing is an important aspect of the social gaming experience. Head to Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety then use the “Xbox Privacy” menu to select between defaults (Child, Teen, and Adult) or use the “View details & customize” option to make granular choices.
In addition to history and online status, you can lock down your profile and profile picture, decide who can send requests and join online sessions, and control screenshot uploads and visibility. Some of these are set to “Everyone on the internet” so it’s worth reviewing these at least once.
3 Configure Data Sharing Practices
While you’re in the Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety menu you’ll find three other options that you might want to change. “Optional diagnostic data” relates to Xbox products and services, “Personalized recommendations” affects how your console serves up recommended games and movies, while “Personalized ads” refers to anything else you might be sold in the Xbox dashboard.
4 Configure the Share Button
Your Xbox can capture screenshots and gameplay clips using the “Share” button in the middle of the controller (or via the Xbox guide on older consoles).
You can select which shortcut does what under Settings > Preferences > Capture & share > Button mapping. Use the drop-down boxes to configure single press, press and hold, and double tap.
5 Configure Capture Settings
Head to Settings > Preferences > Capture & share to pick a resolution and recording length for any game clips you capture. The maximum length of a clip is restricted by which resolution you pick. For example, 4K HDR captures are limited to 30 seconds, but you can go for 3 minutes in 720p SDR.
Lower resolutions and shorter clips will save disk space. You can also change “Allow game captures” to “Captures by me” to prevent games from adding screenshots or clips to your personal gallery.
It’s rare, but some games save screenshots when you use in-game items like cameras. By turning this off, the only captures you’ll make are those that occur when you use the Share button.
6 Power Options
Power options decide how much energy your console uses at rest, but also how accessible it is for remote features. Head to Settings > General > Power options to pick between “Shutdown” and “Sleep.”
Shutdown uses very little power since your console is essentially off, but your console takes longer to start up. Sleep uses more power since it’s still technically running, but it also starts up considerably quicker. Most importantly, remember to pick “Sleep” if you want to use Remote Play and wake the console remotely.
Hit “Customize power options” to set how long it takes for your console to turn off, and enable console and game or app updates while the console is off. Remember that games you’re currently playing should be suspended when your console powers off, which means it’s very rare that you will lose anything.
One nifty option is the “Adjust active hours” setting which allows you to automatically or manually set active hours during which your console sleeps and shuts down completely. That way you can get the best of both worlds.
7 Enable Remote Access
In addition to picking “Sleep” mode to enable waking your console remotely, head to Settings > General > Power options > Customize power options > Remote features then check “Enable remote features” to play games remotely from your smartphone.
This setting is also required if you want to install games remotely.
8 Enable HDMI-CEC to Control Your Display
Want your TV or monitor to turn on when your Xbox does? Head to Settings > General > Power options > Customize power options > TV & A/V power options to enable the “HDMI-CEC” toggle. Now decide which behaviors you want to enable like “Console turns on other devices” to wake your TV and “Other devices can turn console off.”
9 Enable Variable Refresh Rate
Variable refresh rate ties the refresh rate of your TV or monitor to the frame rate of your Xbox. This eliminates screen tearing and can help make frame drops much less noticeable. It should be on if your display supports it, but there’s no harm in checking to make sure (especially if you’ve upgraded since getting your console).
Head to Settings > General > TV & display options > Video modes and set “Variable refresh rate” to “Gaming Only” (which means that movie and TV content won’t be affected).
10 Set Up HDR Properly
Your Xbox can output high dynamic range (HDR) video on supported displays. Head to Settings > General > TV & display options > Video mode and use the “Enable HDR 10” and “Allow Dolby Vision for Gaming” toggles to enable HDR support in games. You can also turn on “Allow Dolby Vision” for video content.
Now back out of this menu and use the “Calibrate HDR for games” wizard to set up your TV by following the on-screen instructions.
11 Enable 120Hz Output
If you’re not sure if your TV or monitor has a 120Hz or faster panel, head to Settings > General > TV & display options and use the “4K TV details” button to learn more about what your TV supports.
If 120Hz is supported, back out of the information screen and set “Refresh rate” to 120 Hz. This will allow for high refresh rate gameplay in a limited number of games. It also makes 40 FPS options possible in games like Fallout 4.
12 Set Up Night Mode
Do you like to play or watch in a dark room at bedtime but find that your console is a bit too bright? Go to Settings > General > TV & display options > Night mode to choose between “Schedule” or “On” (to permanently enable it).
Now set the maximum brightness under “Display” and disable HDR entirely if you want. You can also control the brightness of the Xbox button on your console and controller.
13 Hide Your Email Address on Home
Do you sometimes stream from your console, or capture gameplay footage? By default your Xbox will show your linked email address on the Home screen (a bizarre choice from Microsoft).
Turn this off under Settings > Account > Sign-in, security & PIN by disabling “Show on Home” for email. You can also hide your Gamer Score from this menu, if you want.
14 Set Up the Break Reminder
Do you get too absorbed in games and forget to take breaks? Navigate to Settings > Preferences > Break reminder to set a 30-minute, hour, 90-minute, or two-hour reminder.
Even if you don’t use this feature to prompt you to get up to take a break (which you should), it’s still valuable since it can help you gauge how long has passed while you’ve been playing.
15 Personalize Your Console
Make your Xbox feel like your own using the Settings > General > Personalization options. Here you can configure the Xbox guide and tweak your profile. You can also choose your Xbox accent color, pick a theme, and change the background.
This is also where you set your “home” Xbox, something you might want to change if you want to share your library or Game Pass subscription with another console.
16 Link Discord, Steam and More
Want to chat on Discord, find Steam friends, or stream directly to Twitch? Head to Settings > Account > Linked social accounts and choose from Discord, Reddit, Steam, and Twitch then follow the on-screen instructions to link each.
New to Xbox? Check out our top tips for getting started and maximizing your console’s performance. Got a PlayStation too? Check out which settings to chance on your PS5.
