Using a laptop as a monitor for a console

Question

I was able to play my xbox on my laptop while it was plugged into my smart tv and my dad was using the tv watching a show

I have a friend who wants to use their laptop as a monitor for an Xbox One - however, the laptop has no input video ports. She was apparently able to do this once, when the console was connected to a smart TV, and the output was sent to her laptop that way.

Is this doable instead with a USB port using an HDMI to USB adapter? Or is it necessary to have the smart TV running the console output?

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post this - if so, let me know where would be more appropriate, if anywhere.