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Sunshine

Free, open-source game streaming host for playing your PC games on other devices via Moonlight.

Open sourceSelf-hostableCloud gaming and game streaming services
Visit SunshineSee 3 alternatives
Verified facts
5 of 5
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About Sunshine

Sunshine is a self-hosted game streaming server: you run it on your gaming PC, then play on a laptop, phone, TV or handheld using any Moonlight client. It took over the role of NVIDIA's discontinued GameStream and works with AMD, Intel and NVIDIA GPUs for hardware encoding, with software encoding as a fallback. It aims for low latency, emulates Xbox, PlayStation DualShock/DualSense and Switch Pro controllers on the host so most gamepads work, and is configured and paired through a web interface. It runs on Windows and Linux, with macOS and FreeBSD support for some features. It is free and GPL-licensed, developed by the LizardByte community, with no subscription because you stream from your own hardware. Setup involves ports, encoders and sometimes virtual displays, so it's more work than Steam Remote Play, and quality depends on your home network.

Best for: PC gamers who want to stream their own library to other devices with low latency and no fees.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Free and open source, no subscription
  • Hardware encoding on AMD, Intel and NVIDIA GPUs
  • Works with Moonlight clients on almost any device
  • Emulates common controllers on the host

Why people leave

  • More setup than Steam Remote Play or Parsec
  • Needs a good home network for smooth play
  • macOS host support is limited

Top Sunshine alternatives

See all 3
  1. 1Apollo logo
    Apollo

    Sunshine fork for Windows that streams at the client's native resolution with built-in virtual displays.

    66.5
  2. 2Parsec logo
    Parsec

    Easier setup with its own client and low-latency streaming, plus remote co-op with friends.

    52.2
  3. 3Steam logo
    Steam

    Steam Remote Play streams your Steam library with almost no setup if your games are on Steam.

    50.3

Why people left Sunshine

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Sunshine, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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Sunshine: common questions

Is Sunshine free?

Yes. Sunshine is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Sunshine open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at LizardByte/Sunshine. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Sunshine run on?

Sunshine is available for Windows, Linux and macOS.

What are the best alternatives to Sunshine?

The highest-ranked Sunshine alternatives right now are Apollo, Parsec and Steam. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 3 Sunshine alternatives