Did you know that your Steam Deck can push up to 4K at 120Hz when connected to an external display, freeing you from the limits of its compact 800p screen? It’s confirmed on the Steam Deck’s official spec page!

Although the Steam Deck supports high resolutions, its performance often limits gameplay to 1080p on external displays.

With Moonlight and Sunshine, you can tap into your PC’s power for smoother gaming. Pair it with a 4K-compatible dock for a truly immersive experience on a larger screen.

• Sunshine: Installed on your gaming PC as the server, Sunshine streams game visuals, audio, and controls.

• Moonlight: Installed on your mobile device (Steam Deck, phone etc.), Moonlight connects to Sunshine for game streaming anywhere.

When you’re at home on the same network, connect your Steam Deck to your gaming PC through Moonlight and Sunshine. Let your PC handle the heavy tasks while your Steam Deck streams the gameplay smoothly! 

Moonlight and Sunshine also let you stream games remotely, so you don’t need to be on the same network as your PC. You can still connect to your gaming setup if you’re traveling or just away from home. All it takes is downloading an additional tool on your PC, and you’re ready to play from anywhere!

• Running AAA Games Natively at Home

Stream high-performance AAA games from your powerful host PC, which handles the demanding processing and delivers top-tier graphics to your Steam Deck.

• Efficient Memory Usage

Games run directly on the host PC, reducing memory usage on the Steam Deck.

• Lower Power Consumption

Since the host PC runs the games, the Steam Deck uses less power, helping to extend its battery life during longer sessions.

• Quieter Operation

With the heavy lifting done by the host PC, the Steam Deck’s fan operates more quietly, offering a more enjoyable gaming experience.

• Versatile PC Connection

Moonlight and Sunshine allow your Steam Deck to function as a general-purpose remote desktop for gaming and accessing other PC applications and tasks.

1.Hosting gaming PC

• Any modern GPU from AMD, NVIDIA and Intel
• Windows 10 or 11 (Windows 7 and 8 are not supported)
• macOS 12 and newer (experimental)
• Linux (Debian 11, Ubuntu 22.04, Fedora 38 and newer)

2.Steam Deck

3.A strong network connected to your PC (around 100Mbps for 4K streaming)

4.A strong network connected to your Steam Deck

On your gaming PC, install the latest version of Sunshine. Look for the file that ends with windows-installer.exe. 

Launch the Sunshine app on your gaming PC , and setup your username and password. 

Enter your username and password again, then go to Configuration to adjust audio or video settings by clicking on the relevant tabs. 

On your Steam Deck, switch to Desktop Mode (Press the Steam button > Power > Switch to Desktop). In Desktop Mode, open Discover from the applications list and search for Moonlight and install it. 

We recommend adding Moonlight as a non-Steam game so you can access it in Game Mode. In Desktop Mode, open Steam, click Add a Game in the bottom-left corner, select "Add a Non-Steam Game", search for Moonlight, and then click "Add Selected. "

Return to Game Mode and launch Moonlight. Click the settings icon on the right-hand side, then select Properties. Set the game resolution to  any resolution you prefer. 

Connect to the same local network as the streaming host, and your computer's name will appear—simply click to start connecting. If your device doesn’t show up, or if you’re pairing over the Internet, you can manually add it by entering your computer’s IP address. (>>How to find computer’s IP address)

Go to settings on the top right corner. Set the Resolution and FPS to 4K and 120Hz (or adjust to any resolution you prefer). 

The steps above are sufficient for streaming with Moonlight and Sunshine on your home network. However, if you want to stream remotely, please continue with the following steps. You will need to download an additional tool called the Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool.

On your gaming PC, please download and launch the Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool. After the network test is complete, you’ll receive your PC’s public IP address. 

On your gaming PC, please log in to Sunshine, navigate to Configuration > Network, and enable UPnP. 

For the ideal remote gaming setup, the GR10 is your go-to solution, offering powerful features to support smooth 4K streaming. Here’s how it can enhance your experience:

• 2.5GbE Ethernet Port: Provides a fast and reliable network connection, ensuring smooth and stable streaming, even at 4K.
• HDMI 2.1 Support: Fully supports 4K at 120Hz, allowing you to enjoy stunning and larger visuals when streaming with Moonlight.
• USB-A and USB-C Ports: Equipped with two USB-A ports and one USB-C port, all supporting 10Gbps data transfer, making it easy to connect controllers or other peripherals.

Don’t have a powerful gaming PC at home? No worries—there are alternative ways to stream games on your Steam Deck without relying on its internal GPU. Here are some popular cloud and remote gaming options you can try:

• Install GeForce NOW on Steam Deck: Stream high-performance PC games from NVIDIA’s cloud servers. A subscription is required, but setup is simple and delivers excellent performance.

• Set up PS Remote Play on Steam Deck: If you own a PlayStation 5, you can stream your console games directly to your Steam Deck over Wi-Fi. 

• Use Xbox Cloud Gaming on Steam Deck: With an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can access hundreds of Xbox titles through the cloud—perfect for gaming on the go.