Short answer: for games in your Steam library, use Steam’s built-in Remote Play. Sign in to the same account on your PC and your Deck, and choose Stream instead of Install. For other games, or the sharpest picture, use Moonlight on the Deck with Sunshine or Apollo on the PC.
How this post was made: researched and written with Claude, an AI assistant, checked against the sources linked in this post, and overseen by Nersing Pradhan. How we make NP Handhelds
Why stream instead of playing on the Deck?
When you stream, your PC runs the game and the Deck only shows the video and sends back your button presses. That means you can play games that are too demanding for the Deck, keep big games off its storage, and use the PC’s graphics settings. Online games whose anti-cheat blocks the Steam Deck usually work too, because the game is running on your Windows PC.
The catch is that it depends on your home network, and your PC has to be on.
What you need
- A gaming PC with Steam installed.
- A good home network. Connect the PC to your router with an Ethernet cable if you can, and put the Deck on 5 GHz Wi-Fi. The Steam Deck OLED also supports 6 GHz Wi-Fi 6E.
- Both devices on the same network for the best results.
Method 1: Steam Remote Play
This is built into Steam and takes a couple of minutes to set up.
- On your PC, open Steam, go to Settings, then Remote Play, and make sure Enable Remote Play is on.
- On the Deck, sign in to the same Steam account and connect to the same network.
- In the Deck’s library, open a game that’s installed on your PC.
- Press the arrow next to the Install button, choose your PC, then press Stream.
Steam starts the game on the PC and streams it to the Deck. If the picture is blurry or stutters, open Settings, then Remote Play on the Deck and adjust the streaming quality and bandwidth options.
Method 2: Moonlight with Sunshine or Apollo
Moonlight is a free streaming app that works with any game or launcher on your PC, not just Steam. You pair it with a free host app on the PC: Sunshine, or Apollo, a Sunshine-based host for Windows that can create a virtual display matching your Deck’s screen.
- On the PC, install Sunshine or Apollo and set a username and password in its web settings page.
- On the Deck, switch to Desktop Mode, open Discover, and install Moonlight.
- Open Moonlight. It should find your PC. Select it, and Moonlight shows a PIN.
- Enter the PIN in the host app’s web page on the PC to pair them.
- Right-click Moonlight in the application menu and choose Add to Steam, then return to Game Mode.
In Moonlight’s settings, set the resolution to 1280 x 800 to match the Deck’s screen, and the frame rate to 60, or 90 on the OLED if your PC can keep up.
Which one should you use?
| Steam Remote Play | Moonlight | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Built in, about 2 minutes | About 15 minutes |
| Games | Your Steam library | Anything on your PC |
| Picture quality | Good | Excellent once tuned |
| Playing away from home | Built in | Possible, with extra setup |
| Price | Free | Free |
Start with Steam Remote Play. If you want non-Steam games, a sharper picture or the full PC desktop, set up Moonlight.
Getting a smooth stream
- Wire the PC. A wired connection on the PC side makes the biggest difference.
- Keep the Deck close to the router, or on a 5 GHz or 6 GHz band.
- Match the resolution. Streaming at the Deck’s 1280 x 800 avoids scaling and saves bandwidth.
- Lower the bitrate if you see stutter, then raise it until the picture is clean.
Streaming from a console instead? We cover the PS5 and Xbox Game Pass separately.
Frequently asked questions
Does streaming use less battery than playing on the Deck?
Usually, yes, when the game would otherwise push the Deck hard. The Deck only has to decode video, although the screen and Wi-Fi still draw power.
Can I stream over the internet?
Steam Remote Play works over the internet when you’re signed in on both devices. How well it works depends on your home connection’s upload speed.
What kind of PC do I need?
One that runs the game well and has a graphics card with a hardware video encoder. Most NVIDIA, AMD and Intel graphics from the last several years have one.
Can I stream games that don’t run on the Steam Deck?
In most cases, yes. The game runs on your Windows PC, so anti-cheat that blocks Linux isn’t a problem.
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