How To Play Xbox Games Offline

Can you play gamepass games when you're offline if they are already installed?

Good article considering what happened yesterday. Always make sure you got your main consoles activated for offline use!

There shouldn't have to be special instructions for this

@XBontendo Well it isn't really a special instruction sort of thing, the option is right there in the settings menu and every modern console is like that, it's just that apparently a lot of people don't think about it.

I was pretty disappointed to learn the repercussions of having no Xbox Live with my Xbox Series S. I couldn't play anything on it. I have an Xbox One X as my "Home Console" and my Xbox Series S is my secondary console, even though I use the Series S primarily. But because of that, my Series S was useless for playing any games I owned or had installed through Game Pass. I'd think there should least be a period of time that these games should work in case of another outage?

I never realized being online was a requirement when you have a Digital Only console like the Series S.... (Edit: Or REQUIRED to be set as your Home Console.)

I couldn't even open up Rocket League...which is free...

@PeterPanana MS was the first to do it, but PS and Nintendo are the same now. Steam I think gives a grace period of having to connect weekly or so, but the consoles, the secondary machine, for digital content must be online.

It's our brave new world!

@NEStalgia I understand why they do it, but I wish there was some grace period.

I guess I just realized what I have to do is to put on a different account on my Xbox Series S and any games that are Free will have to be installed with that account which will be it's "Home Console." It won't help me for 95% of my games, but at least games that are free, like Rocket League, will at least be playable... Definitely a little ridiculous though.

@JayJ no he is right the system should automatically adjust and allow you to play your games even if you cant connect to live…if the switch can do it the xbox can….

Thanks for the guide. It is indeed helpfull.
Can I have both my consoles (xbox one s and series S) set as home console? My Kids play games on one s by using their account, but games are owned by me. Will they still be able to play if both consoles Will be set as home console?

@Blessed_Koz Well the Switch needs to be activated and you can only do that for one console, otherwise you need to be connected all the time. I can't think of any console that just works offline without activation.

@PeterPanana I had to make an account on this website just to reply to you since no one else here seems to want to correct you, or they just don't know. You do NOT need online to play digital games on Xbox Series S. You said in your own comment that the Series S is not set as your main console. That's the issue, not that your console cannot play games offline. I played Monster Hunter World and Agents of Mayhem just fine offline on my Series S which is set as my home console. This Statement by you;

"I never realized being online was a requirement when you have a Digital Only console like the Series S...."

Is just patently false...

@Pantheos I now edited my first comment to include more details. All together I should have said:
"I never realized being online was a requirement when you have a Digital Only console like the Series S... when it is not set as your Home Console."

It’s nice from you to post this but honestly it shouldn’t be necessary, as I’ve said before if you already have your console as your home Xbox you should be able to play the games you own NO MATTER WHAT, without having to enable offline mode or tinkering with settings at all.

Also if you don’t have it as your home Xbox or you’re playing with Game Pass there must be a workaround in which you don’t need to be online the whole time, I’m not saying they should get rid of all DRM, but there must be more flexibility specially when they’re pushing so hard towards an all-digital future.

@fraser hello mate. I have two questions you might know the answer to. I have googled and can’t find a proper clear answer.

I’m about to go away and stay somewhere that I’m not In control of the Wi-Fi (it’s a ronald McDonald house) they have T&Cs you have to accept to connect does the Xbox now allow you to do this? (Like in a hotel)

And if I follow the above instructions will I be able to use gamepass games I’ve downloaded? How often do I have to reconnect, I think I read somewhere a week. I didn’t see a situation where I would ever need the info but here I am.

I’ll dig out a a few disks just In case.

Basically

Does the wireless allow and accept terms splash page.

And bought and GPU games do they work offline in you’ve set as home console?

Thanks

My little one has been in hospital since Jan, I wanna take console up for a a bit of entertainment in evenings just deciding if it’s worth it.

Cheers in advance