Amazon’s Alexa makes everything easier.
If you are not satisfied with the sound from your Xbox, you can even use Amazon’s Alexa devices to improve your gaming and streaming experience.
Here are 6 methods that allow you to use Alexa as a speaker for your Xbox:
- Connect Alexa to your Xbox with a 3.5 mm AUX cord.
- Connect Alexa via your Smart TV’s bluetooth.
- Connect Alexa through your monitor’s bluetooth.
- Use an optical auxiliary adapter with your TV.
- Pair Alexa to your TV with a bluetooth transmitter adapter.
- Adjust the volume with Alexa Skills.
In this article, I’ll teach you several ways to pair your Alexa speaker to your Xbox so that you never have to compromise on audio quality again.
1. Connect Alexa to Your Xbox with a 3.5mm AUX Cord
If you have an Amazon Echo, you can use the AUX output to play your Xbox’s sound.
While wired speaker connections aren’t always favorable, they generally offer higher sound quality and less lagging than a Bluetooth connection, making this method more beneficial if you frequently experience slow loading times or lagging audio.
Still, only the larger and newer Amazon Alexa devices like the Echo Plus, Generation 4 Echo, 3rd generation Echo, and Echo Studio can work as a wired speaker with an AUX cable.
That’s because the smaller and older Amazon speakers only allow you to output Alexa’s sound to other speakers, but they won’t play the sound from most electronics.
To connect your Echo device to your Xbox, you will need a 3.5 mm AUX cable.
Depending on your Xbox setup, you can either plug the aux cable into your TV, monitor or directly into your Xbox.
To set up the speaker:
- Plug your 3.5mm AUX cable into the headphone jack on your Amazon speaker (next to the power inlet).
- Open your Amazon Alexa app and open the “more” menu.
- Select “add a device”
- Select your Alexa device and then select “Echo Input.”
- Plug the other end of the AUX cable into your Xbox.
- Test the speaker to see if the sound comes from your Alexa device.
- If the sound does not come out of your Amazon speaker, open the settings on your TV or monitor and disable the built-in speaker.
Using an AUX cable is by far the easiest way to use your Alexa device as an Xbox speaker. However, there are several other ways to get the job done!
You might also want to know: Are Wired Headphones Louder Than Wireless? 5 Facts Revealed
2. Connect Alexa Via Your Smart TV’s Bluetooth
If you have a smart TV, you can skip the wires and use Bluetooth to play sound with Alexa from your Xbox and TV.
To pair your Alexa speaker with your TV:
- Place your Alexa speaker near your Smart TV.
- Disconnect your Alexa speaker from all other devices by saying, “Alexa, Disconnect.”
- Disable Bluetooth connectivity on other nearby devices such as phones, computers, tablets, and additional TVs.
- Turn on your Smart TV and open the settings menu.
- Find the BlueTooth pairing option on your TV’s settings.
- Find your Alexa speaker device on the Bluetooth pairing menu on your TV and select it.
- Say “Alexa, Connect” to connect to your Smart TV
- Wait for your TV and smart speaker to pair.
Once your speaker and TV have paired, you can listen to any audio on your Alexa device, whether you’re watching TV, streaming music, or playing games on your Xbox.
3. Connect Alexa Through Your Monitor’s Bluetooth
If your Xbox video is connected to a monitor, you can still use Bluetooth to connect your Alexa device to the audio system.
To connect:
- Open your Bluetooth settings on your monitor.
- Find your Amazon speaker on the available devices list on your monitor.
- Select your Amazon device on the menu.
- Open your volume settings and ensure that the selected speaker is your Amazon speaker.
Using a monitor is highly recommended if you connect your Xbox to your Alexa-enabled speaker since it is so simple.
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4. Use an Optical Auxiliary Adapter With Your TV
If you don’t mind using a wired connection and want the best sound quality you can get, you can use an optical auxiliary adapter.
These adapters allow you to plug a 3.5 mm AUX cable into your Alexa device and an optical cable into your TV or monitor.
Using an adapter will keep lagging to an all-time low, and the optical cable will give you the highest sound quality possible.
In addition, if your TV or monitor does not have a 3.5mm jack, using one of these adaptors is the way to go.
You will need the adaptor, a 3.5 mm AUX cable, an optical cable, and an open power outlet to set up your device. You should also ensure that your TV, monitor, or Xbox has an optical cable input.
If you need an adapter, I recommend Hdiwousp’s Analog to Digital Adapter (available on Amazon), which comes with its own optical cable, so you don’t have to buy one separately.
To use an optical auxiliary adaptor with your Amazon Alexa speaker:
- Connect the power cable to your optical auxiliary adaptor and plug it into a power outlet.
- Plug your 3.5 mm AUX cable into your Amazon Alexa speaker, then connect the cable to the adaptor.
- Plug the optical cable into the other end of the adaptor, then connect the optical cable to your TV or monitor.
- Turn on your Alexa device.
- Turn on your TV or monitor and power up your Xbox.
Learn more: How to screen mirror a non-smart TV?
5. Pair Alexa to Your TV With a Bluetooth Transmitter Adapter
If you want to go wireless, try a Bluetooth transmitter adapter.
Bluetooth transmitter adaptors connect to your TV or monitor, and they can pair with any Bluetooth audio device such as headphones, Bluetooth speakers, or Amazon Alexa devices.
My go-to adapter is the ZIDOO Bluetooth 5.0 Transmitter and Reciever (available on Amazon). This adaptor uses a 3.5mm jack to transmit a Bluetooth signal, and it works on most modern TVs.
Mine has lasted me for many years, and it always transmits sound clearly and without annoying lags that often happen when you use one of these devices.
However, it is still crucial to ensure that your TV will support your Bluetooth adaptor.
Make sure that the plug for your adaptor will fit into your TV. Most modern TVs take a 3.5mm jack, but others will only take RCA plugs, USB, or optical cables.
Still, it is essential to note that this device works just like other Bluetooth Devices, so your Alexa speaker will have to be close to the Xbox for it to work.
To set up your Bluetooth transmitter adaptor:
- Charge your adaptor’s battery or plug it into a power outlet, depending on the model of your adaptor.
- Plug your adaptor into your TV or monitor.
- Disconnect Alexa from other Bluetooth devices by saying, “Alexa, disconnect.”
- Disable Bluetooth pairing on all other devices nearby, including phones, tablets, computers, and TVs.
- Place your Amazon speaker near your Bluetooth adaptor and say, “Alexa, connect.”
- Wait for Alexa to say, “Connected.”
- Power up your Xbox and enjoy your speaker!
Using a Bluetooth transmitter adaptor adds versatility to your older devices that can’t usually connect via Bluetooth.
6. Adjust the Volume With Alexa Skills
Amazon smart speakers offer “skills,” which allow you to control various devices in your home by voice control.
Since Alexa is compatible with Xbox, you can use the skills available on the Amazon Alexa app to manage your Xbox volume and other features.
To pair your Xbox with the Alexa app:
- Turn on your TV or monitor and power up your Xbox.
- Download the Amazon Alexa app on your phone and open the app.
- Open the main menu and select “Add Device.”
- Select “Game Console.”
- Select “Xbox.”
- Follow the app’s instructions to pair your Xbox with the app.
- Open the “Skills” menu and look for the Xbox skill.
- Enable the skill.
Although pairing your Amazon Alexa device with your Xbox won’t send your audio to the speaker, it will allow you to use voice commands to change the volume of your game.
You can also use the skills setting to turn your Xbox on or off and open apps on your game console.