Moonlight + Sunshine: Free Open-Source Remote Gaming Stream (2026)

Moonlight + Sunshine is the open-source answer to Parsec. Moonlight is the client (originally built to work with NVIDIA GameStream before NVIDIA killed it), and Sunshine is the host-side self-hostable replacement. Together they give you free, sub-30ms, 4K@60 remote desktop and cloud-gaming-grade streaming.

Different from RDP Wrapper: RDPWrap enables multiple concurrent RDP sessions on the same Windows box. Moonlight+Sunshine gives one user butter-smooth low-latency streaming of a powerful host.

What you get

Up to 4K@120fps H.264, H.265, or AV1 encoding
Sub-30ms latency on a wired LAN with a modern GPU encoder
HDR passthrough (Windows host → HDR-capable client)
Controller passthrough for Xbox/PS5/Switch Pro
5.1 / 7.1 surround audio
Clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Steam Deck, ChromeOS, even retro consoles via homebrew
100% free, 100% open source, no accounts, no relay servers

Setup: Sunshine on the Windows/Linux host

Sunshine is the replacement for NVIDIA GameStream (which only worked on NVIDIA GPUs). Sunshine works on NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel GPUs as long as they have a hardware video encoder.

Download the installer from github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases
Install, open https://localhost:47990 in a browser, set an admin password
In the Web UI, go to Configuration → check your encoder (NVENC / AMF / QuickSync / software fallback)
On your client device, install Moonlight, open Sunshine’s Web UI on the host, and pair with the PIN shown by the client

Moonlight + Sunshine vs. Parsec

	Moonlight + Sunshine	Parsec
Cost	Free forever	Free base / $9.99 mo for 4K
Open source	✅	❌
4K @ 60	✅ Free	Paid tier only
Setup time	~15 min	~5 min
Multi-user co-op	❌	✅
Relay server needed	No (direct) or Tailscale/WireGuard	Parsec-hosted

Best use cases

Cloud-game from home PC to Steam Deck / iPad while traveling
Stream a Windows gaming PC to a Linux living-room HTPC
Remote creative work (Photoshop, DaVinci Resolve) where RDP feels sluggish
Use an Apple TV as a gaming frontend for a Windows PC in another room

FAQ

Do I need an NVIDIA GPU for Moonlight + Sunshine?

No — Sunshine replaced NVIDIA’s GameStream and supports any GPU with a hardware video encoder (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMF on AMD RX 400+, QuickSync on Intel 4th gen+). Software encoding works as a fallback but eats CPU.

Can I stream over the internet, not just LAN?

Yes. Either port-forward Sunshine’s ports (47984-48010) through your router, or put both host and client on the same Tailscale / WireGuard mesh network — no port forwarding needed, encrypted automatically.

Last updated: 2026-04-22.