Do You Need Cable TV for Xbox Live? No.

Cable TV is irrelevant. Xbox Live needs internet, not cable.

Connection Options

• Wired Ethernet — Best latency/stability.
• Wi-Fi (5 GHz) — Good if close to router.
• Mobile hotspot — Works; watch data caps/latency.
• Powerline adapters — Ethernet over electrical wiring.
• Satellite (Starlink, Viasat) — High latency, not ideal for competitive.

Requirements

• ≥ 3 Mbps down / 0.5 Mbps up (minimum).
• ≤ 150 ms ping (ideal < 60 ms).
• NAT Type Open / Moderate (Strict blocks party chat/host).

Cable TV subscription = $0 relevance. Pay for broadband.