How to use Beam streaming in the Windows 10 Creators Update

Microsoft purchased the gaming streaming service Beam last year, and support for it is built into the Windows 10 Creators Update. This means you’re able to stream any game you can get the game bar working in, and it doesn’t require downloading any extra software at all. Plus, the integrated chat window makes it easy to keep an eye on your game and interact with viewers at the same time.

The game bar will work with any game that runs in windowed mode (so borderless fullscreen should also be fine), all UWP games, and select Win32 titles. You can check if the game you’re running will work with it just by pushing Win+G to try and open the game bar – if it appears, everything should go smoothly. After that’s all figured out, just follow the steps below to start streaming your game.

1. First off, you’ll want to go to your Xbox privacy settings to make sure broadcasting is enabled. To do that, click here, go to the Xbox One/Windows 10 tab, and look for the “broadcast gameplay” option. Make sure that it’s allowed before moving on to the next step.
2. Open your game of choice and press the Windows key and G together to open the game bar. Pushing the Xbox guide button on your controller (if it’s attached) does the same thing.
3. Select the broadcasting icon – it looks like a satellite dish.
4. Agree to the terms and conditions for Beam.
5. Configure various settings (do you want to broadcast your entire display, or just one game?) and hit “start stream”. You’re also able to get a link to your channel from this same window.

After that’s done, congratulations! You’re now streaming on Beam.