Moonlight takes Steam Link to a new level

Steam Link changed the way I play games around my home, but that’s only the tip of the Iceberg.

For most, Moonlight is the next logical step. It’s a program built on Nvidia’s GameStream Protocol that allows you to stream any content from your PC. Moonlight is a game-centric app, but unlike Steam Link it also lets you access the full Windows desktop remotely.

Because Moonlight is open, it has clients that stream to a lot of devices. This includes all phones as well as the Wii U Vision Pro, Raspberry Pi and some smart TVs.

Although Moonlight has several improvements over Steam Link due to its open-source nature, other developers were able build even better versions. Two notable ones are Artemis and Razer Game streaming.

These forks will convince your PC to think that your virtual device is a second monitor, allowing you to play games in the native resolution of your device. This is a huge update for me, as I enjoy playing on the odd aspect ratio of the OnePlus Open. Steam Link allowed me to set my game so that it covered about 90% of my screen. With Artemis (named for the Greek goddess of moon, get the reference?) I can now cover the entire screen. All games use the large foldable. The Razer app works the same way, but I couldn’t get it to work on the Open. Jon has had better results using it on an iPad.

Some of the games look a bit odd. For example, the first Red Dead Redemption looks great on the square display, but the option menus are way too long to fit in this aspect ratio. It’s not a big deal and doesn’t affect the gameplay but it’s likely to happen more as you play games on non-standard screens.

Setup is hard

If you want to use Moonlight/Artemis/Razer game streaming you first need to install a client on your host PC. The default version is called Sunshineis the version you need to use Artemis. Apollo is named after Artemis’ twin, Apollo, the god of light and sun. This version is compatible with Moonlight, so I recommend it for most people. You need to download Razer’s version if you want to use it. Cortex app.

To remember, apps named after sun are for your PC and apps named after moon are for remote clients such as Apple TV or your smartphone.

I’m going focus on Apollo for this article, but setting Sunshine up is almost the same. Download Apollo by clicking the link. Install the latest release of this GitHub on your PC. Once it’s installed, you’ll find a small Apollo icon in your System tray on the right side of the Taskbar. By right-clicking and opening the icon, you can launch your web browser where you can do most of the configurations.

The first time you use it, you’ll have to sign in using a username and an account. After that, the process will be much more streamlined. You may also see a popup warning you that the website is unsafe. However, you can bypass it.

You will need to download Moonlight You can install Artemis on the device that you want to use. Moonlight is the only option for my Vision Pro as there is no Artemis client. This is what I said. The visionOS Moonlight client is still in Testflight, so it won’t be available in the Vison App Store.

All versions connect to the host PC in the same way. Let the app scan the local network and select the PC when it appears. This will cause a notification to be displayed on your Windows PC. Click on it, and then enter the PIN displayed on your phone’s screen. The first device that you connect should work flawlessly. You’ll have to manually approve the majority of permissions for any other devices.

You’ll find your list of connected devices on the same ‘Pin” screen within Sunshine/Apollo. If the number string to the left of your device’s name is blue, then you will need to manually enable ‘Launch Apps’ and a ‘Controller input’. In general, I turn everything on just to be safe. Once you’ve done this, the numbers will turn red and indicate that streaming is ready.

Additional perks and tips.

You can adjust some settings in your mobile app before you start streaming to make it smoother. You can also choose a target resolution. I was able to stream 4K with my Vision Pro. My PC is hardwired with my modem, which supports Wi-Fi 6E. This setup is pretty close to a best case scenario. You can stream outside your local networkbut it requires more setup

. If you do this, make sure that your streaming bitrate falls at least one Mbps below your average upload speed.

You can bypass the game launcher by creating shortcuts in the Apollo/Sunshine application’s ‘Applications’ section. If you are familiar with the Command Prompts, you can do this easily.

To fix the problem of the game not streaming consistently, go into the settings of your mobile device to adjust the bitrate, the resolution, and the frame rate. You can also change the codec settings, as different codecs may work better on various devices.