Local streaming of PC games has progressed fantastically in the last few years, to the point that it’s a sin not to use it if you already have the conditions for it.
One of the things that makes me prefer PC versions of games is that I’m not limited to one device or one screen with them. PC games can be played on the main bin and monitor, on a laptop, handheld PC like Steam Deck, TV, mobile phone, tablet, VR headset, modified console – practically *on* everything. Some of these devices can run PC games independently, and for those that cannot, there is a solution called streaming.
Now, what a lot of people don’t know is that there are two types of streaming: from the cloud (like Netflix) and locally. While streaming from the cloud is usually linked to some kind of payment and brings with it a lot of compromises, local streaming is much better quality, and it’s also free. That’s exactly why we want to draw your attention to this second type of local streaming.
What exactly is local streaming?
If you’re hearing about local streaming for the first time, here’s the obligatory introduction and explanation of what it’s all about. In short, with local streaming you create a wireless connection between your gaming PC and almost any device that is connected to a local Wi-Fi network. Okay, maybe not your smart watch or refrigerator, but cell phones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, TV boxes – all of these can be used for local streaming of PC games.
The way it works is that your PC broadcasts an image via Wi-Fi to another device, while that other device sends controls to the PC running the game. As it all happens within a smaller network, the image quality and responsiveness of the controls are incomparably better compared to streaming from the cloud, to the point that under the right conditions, most players can’t tell the difference between local streaming and native gameplay.
Why would it even be used?
I know what you’re going to ask: why would local streaming be used at all? What’s the point of ‘remote play’ if you already have a PC plugged in? Several reasons could be given, such as the following situations:
- you want to play games in a room where your PC is not located
- you want to play games on a screen that is not physically connected to your PC
- you want to play certain games on a device with an operating system that does not support them
- you want to play games in portable form
Here are my most common applications. After a working day spent at the PC, I prefer to get away from my workplace and play PC games on another screen. I also like to quickly play some things before going to sleep, while I’m already lying in bed, but without compromising on the quality of the graphics, which I have to agree to with handheld PC devices. It is precisely in these scenarios that local streaming serves as an ideal solution.
What hardware is required for local streaming?
For local streaming, you only need a router with a Wi-Fi network. And under that you do not need an active connection to the Internet. You can stream locally even without the Internet, it’s enough just that your router is turned on and that the devices are connected to the same network.
For optimal streaming, a router with a Wi-Fi 5 network is sufficient, and everything above that is a useful bonus that only improves the user experience. It is preferable that the Wi-Fi network is set to 5GHz frequency and that the PC is connected to the router by wire. If your router supports guest network setup, it’s not a bad practice to create a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network that only the devices you use for streaming connect to, although it’s not mandatory.
As for PCs, for local streaming it doesn’t matter what hardware you use, but GeForce RTX 40, Radeon 7000 and Intel Arc series graphics cards have special benefits with the faster AV1 codec.
As for the device you’re streaming to, performance will depend on the type of device itself. As a general rule, the newer and more powerful the device, the better local streaming will be. Local streaming is supported on Windows, Linux, MacOS, ChromeOS, Android, iOS, LG WebOS, Raspberry Pi devices, Xbox One and Series consoles, and modified versions of PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch consoles.
For local streaming, all mobile devices and tablets with Snapdragon processors, all hand-held gaming PC devices and mid-range or higher-end laptops with Ryzen processors of the last three or four generations are great.
Of course, you need to connect a gamepad, mouse and/or keyboard to the device you are streaming on. It is possible to use touch controls on mobile phones and tablets, but for the best experience, a gamepad is provided.
Which software to use?
When it comes to local streaming software, there are multiple options, both on the host (PC) side and on the client side (the device you’re streaming to). It is possible to use such programs as Moonlight, Sunshine, Parsec and others.
My personal favorite is Apolloand for several reasons. The first is easy installation and a minimal amount of setup. You install the program on a PC (either Windows or Linux), pair the devices by entering a PIN, and that’s it. An added convenience is that Sunshine automatically sets the resolution in Windows according to the screen you’re streaming to. For example, if you stream to a mobile phone with a resolution of 2340×1080, Apollo will create a virtual monitor and adjust the display of the image for a mobile screen of 20:9 format. As soon as you’re done streaming, Apollo will automatically restore the image to the resolution of the physical monitor you’re using.
Apollo also allows you to launch games directly, without going to the desktop, Steam or another launcher.
On the client side, the most common choice will be Moonlight because it is available on anything and everything. However, if you are using an Android device, then the choice should be yours Artemisan application with more advanced features and settings that can reduce latency and speed up the response of controls. Artemis is not normally available on the Google Play Store, so you have to download and install it externally, via GitHub. If this is a problem for you, stick to Moonlight which is available on the official app store.
Essential settings
With local streaming, you can choose the resolution in which you stream – up to 4K resolution is available. It’s best to always choose the native resolution of the screen you’re streaming on, you don’t even need to know what that resolution is – you just choose native under resolution.
If you have a device that supports a frequency higher than 60Hz, it is preferable to use a higher frequency due to faster image response. Even if your PC is not connected to a monitor with a frequency higher than 60Hz, it does not matter – Sunshine creates a virtual monitor according to the settings of the client, i.e. the device you are streaming to. The same goes for HDR settings. For example, if you don’t have a monitor that supports HDR, you can still use your phone to stream games with HDR enabled.
A key setting for local streaming is codec selection. In principle, most devices can use the HEVC codec and in most cases it will be quite enough for pleasant gaming. If you have more modern hardware, with the AV1 codec you will get a better image quality without the need to increase the bitrate. Bitrate is what increases the amount of data sent and received and thus affects the quality of the image, so you can play with that setting or leave it on automatic according to the used stream resolution.
What are the restrictions?
When it works properly, the local stream allows you to remotely start the PC from sleep mode, transfer the image from the monitor to the streaming device (while the monitor is then turned off) and play the game as desired. And it’s all free – no one will bother you with any advertisements or subscriptions, measure how long you play, etc.
However, it is worth noting that local streaming is not omnipotent and there are certain things that can hold it back. The rule is that any internet traffic that goes through the router and the Wi-Fi network on which you are streaming affects the performance of the stream itself. In an ideal scenario, you should have a wi-fi network only for yourself, without anyone from your side using the router / wi-fi to watch Netflix, etc.
Another thing, local streaming is just that – local. It’s free as long as you’re within the network your gaming PC is connected to. If you want to stream games from another location, outside of your home, you’ll need a VPN solution like Tailscale or ZeroTier. It is also possible to perform it for free, but with certain restrictions.
Regardless of the limitations, local streaming is a great thing. Maybe you don’t need it, maybe you don’t even know if you need it, and maybe you don’t even know about that option. In any case, I hope that I have intrigued you at least a little about this possibility, so if you have any additional questions about this, feel free to contact me in the comments below the text.