Tutorials · Xbox
Xbox One and Series X|S: transfer games over your network
Xbox network transfer copies game and app installations between compatible Xbox consoles on the same home network. Enable sharing on the source console, then select it from the destination and choose what to copy. This can avoid a full Internet download, but it does not transfer licences or make an incompatible game work on another console model.
At a glance
- Check the supported console and storage type
- Read the prerequisites before changing data
- Allow the operation to finish
- Check the result on the destination device
Compatible systems
Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Both consoles must be available on the same home network. Transfers can work in either direction, subject to the destination supporting the game.
1. Prepare the source and destination consoles
Identify the console that already has the games installed: it is the source. The console that needs those installations is the destination. Leave both switched on and connected to the same home network.
Check the destination’s available storage and choose the titles you actually need first. You do not have to copy an entire collection to start playing on the second console.
Transfer duration depends on the network and the amount of data. Do not plan around a fixed time promised for a different setup. Avoid interrupting either console while files are being copied.
2. Allow network transfer on the source Xbox
On the source console, press the Xbox button to open the guide. Go to Profile & system → Settings → System → Backup & transfer → Network transfer.
Enable Allow network transfer. This makes eligible installations available for copying by another Xbox on that network.
Keep this console available. If you have more than two Xbox consoles at home, identify the source clearly so you do not select an older installation from another device.
3. Select the source from the destination
On the destination Xbox, open the same Network transfer settings. Select the source console from the available consoles.
Choose the games and apps you want, check the required storage and select Copy selected. Network transfer copies the installations; it does not remove them from the source.
If the source does not appear, check that it is on, that network transfer is enabled there and that both devices are on the same network. A guest Wi-Fi network or mobile hotspot may separate them.
4. Let the copy finish and check one game
Leave both consoles connected and available until copying finishes. Do not unplug storage or turn off the source during the transfer.
On the destination, check that the copied game appears in the installed collection. Start it with the account or disc that provides access. A finished copy is a useful checkpoint, but launching successfully is a separate result.
The destination may still need an update or data appropriate to its console model. A local transfer does not guarantee that the complete process will require no Internet access.
5. Check licences, saved progress and storage
A copied installation does not transfer ownership. Use the appropriate licence, subscription or disc. Xbox Series S has no disc drive, so copying files does not allow it to use a disc as proof of ownership.
Saved progress is also separate from installation files. If you last played offline on the old console, reconnect it and let the relevant save synchronisation finish before relying on the new console. Confirm your progress inside the game.
On Series X|S, optimised games generally need internal storage or a compatible storage expansion card to run. Network transfer does not remove that requirement or make Series-only software compatible with Xbox One.
If the copy fails or the console is missing
- No source console: check its power state, the Allow network transfer setting and the shared home network.
- Insufficient space: select fewer games or free space on the correct destination device.
- Incomplete transfer: note the error, check connectivity and storage, then retry the affected copy once the cause is addressed.
- Game copied but unavailable: check licence access and model compatibility separately from the network connection.
Do not reset either console just because the first copy fails. Keep the exact error and the name of the affected title for a targeted diagnosis.
After the migration
When the chosen games work and the expected progress is present, decide whether to leave network sharing enabled. If you no longer need it, return to the source console’s Network transfer settings and clear Allow network transfer.
The original installations remain on the source unless you remove them separately. Only clean up old storage after checking what you need on the destination.
Sources and scope
Prepared from official Xbox support documentation checked on 20 October 2026. This is a documentation-based guide, not a claim of hands-on testing on every console or drive. Menu wording can vary with the system language and update.
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