Moonlight streaming — The open-source game-streaming client that pairs with Sunshine or GeForce Experience on nearly every screen you own.
What it is
Moonlight is a free, open-source game streaming client for Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, console and TV platforms, pairing with an NVIDIA GameStream host or the open-source Sunshine host on your own gaming PC.
Editor's review
Long-form introduction by the BetterPicker editors · checked against the official site · Oct 30, 2026
Moonlight is the client half of the free game-streaming stack, and its community videos read like a map of every screen you could own. Joey's Retro Handhelds' migration guide (725,439 views) follows the ecosystem's shift to the Apollo and Artemis forks while keeping the pairing logic identical: a host runs on your gaming PC, the client connects over your network, and input, video and audio stream back with a few milliseconds of overhead. Steam Deck Guy's setup walkthrough (373,215 views) made the Sunshine-plus-Moonlight pair the default answer for Deck owners, Craft Computing's comparison against Parsec (315,719 views) measures where free self-hosting beats a commercial service, and hardware-specific guides push the same client onto a modded PS Vita (293,187 views) and living-room setups (279,705 views). The official site lists client builds for Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam Link and Raspberry Pi 4, iOS and Apple TV, Android and Amazon FireOS, ChromeOS, PlayStation Vita, Xbox One and Series S|X, Nintendo Switch, Wii U, LG webOS and Tizen TVs, and single-board computers - a platform list no commercial service matches. The project is open source under the GPL, with the Android client repository showing an active contributor community. Streaming runs up to 4K with HDR support where the host allows it, and because the host is your own hardware there is no subscription, no queue at peak time and no data cap - the costs are your GPU and your network. Setup is a two-step pair: enter the host's address, confirm the PIN, and the library appears.
What it does well
Latency is the point: on a wired or strong Wi-Fi link, input lag sits close to console-cloud levels, which is why competitive players use it at home.
Every screen is a target: from a Vita to an Apple TV, the same host serves clients on hardware commercial services abandoned years ago.
Free and open source, for keeps: no accounts and no peak-time queues, and the GPL keeps forks like Apollo and Artemis possible.
Who it's for
PC gamers with a capable machine who want couch or handheld play without a subscription, Steam Deck and retro-handheld owners, and homelab users who already run self-hosted services and want games in the same lineup. Parsec or a cloud service fits better when you need easy internet play beyond your network or games you do not own.
Where it falls short
It streams your PC, not a cloud: the gaming rig must stay on, and the performance ceiling is your hardware's.
Remote play over the internet takes work: port forwarding, VPNs or relays are on you, and results depend on your upload line.
Setup has moving parts: host, client, network and codec settings each offer choices, and the wrong combination costs the latency the tool is famous for.
Specs at a glance
Facts from the official site · not editorial opinion
| Latest version | Continuously updated per-platform clients (Android, iOS, desktop builds on moonlight-stream.org and GitHub) |
|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source; no subscription |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Steam Link, Raspberry Pi 4, iOS, Apple TV, Android, FireOS, ChromeOS, PS Vita, Xbox One and Series S|X, Switch, Wii U, LG webOS and Tizen, single-board computers |
| Open source | Yes - GPL-3.0 (moonlight-stream organization on GitHub) |
| Core capability | Low-latency game streaming up to 4K with HDR, hardware decoding, controller and touch input, host pairing with PIN, per-client settings for resolution, bitrate and codecs |
| Integrations | Pairs with Sunshine or NVIDIA GeForce Experience hosts; community forks Apollo (host) and Artemis (client); works across LAN or VPN tunnels |
| Best for | Streaming your own gaming PC to nearly any device on your home network, free of subscriptions |
Frequently asked questions
▸Is Moonlight free?
Yes. Every client build is free and open source. You provide the host PC and the network; there is no service fee.
▸Do I need an NVIDIA GPU?
No. The original client targeted NVIDIA GameStream, but with the open-source Sunshine (or Apollo) host, AMD and Intel systems work as well.
▸Can Moonlight stream over the internet?
It is designed for LAN first. Internet play is possible with port forwarding, a VPN such as WireGuard or Tailscale, or a relay, and quality then depends on your upload bandwidth.
▸How is it different from Parsec?
Moonlight is free, self-hosted and open source with a far wider device list; Parsec is a managed service with easier internet connectivity and built-in features. Independent comparisons usually frame it as control versus convenience.
Video reviews
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