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PC to Mac game streaming
- Thread starter mjohansen
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Does that work with games outside the Steam client? And do you have any experience with the performance?
What alternative do I have for non-steam games then?
Does steam link work with all non-steam games, and how is performance/latency?
Let me just add that the state of game streaming is in its infancy and its just not ready for prime time.
I tried Geforce Now, probably the most robust of streaming but it didn't have any bethesda games. I tried Xbox streaming because I had an Game Pass subscription for a while, but I play on the PC and the streaming is based on the console. That is many games segregate console worlds and pc worlds, so everything I've done in Fallout 76 won't exist on Xbox streaming because its console based
I also tried Shadow tech, expensive, but has more options, but the performance was slow, that I didn't feel it was worth the price.
I tried Geforce Now, probably the most robust of streaming but it didn't have any bethesda games. I tried Xbox streaming because I had an Game Pass subscription for a while, but I play on the PC and the streaming is based on the console. That is many games segregate console worlds and pc worlds, so everything I've done in Fallout 76 won't exist on Xbox streaming because its console based
I also tried Shadow tech, expensive, but has more options, but the performance was slow, that I didn't feel it was worth the price.
And none of those are playing games from a local PC.
I am not sure if Remote Desktop is a solution.
If anyone cares... I tried both Geforce Now and Steam Link. Steam Link seems to suck big time. I get bad quality streaming and lag spikes on local network. PC is connected through ethernet and iPad is wifi.
Geforce Now seemingly run circles around Steam Link. I get 20-25 ping and the it feels like playing local - Steam Link which is actually local is unplayable. How on earth can the difference be that big?
Geforce Now seemingly run circles around Steam Link. I get 20-25 ping and the it feels like playing local - Steam Link which is actually local is unplayable. How on earth can the difference be that big?
How to Set up Steam Link & Fix Steam Link Lag [Full Guide] - MiniTool Partition Wizard
How to set up Steam Link? How to fix the Steam Link lag issue? Now, you come to the right place. This post will explain these questions in detail.
I am not sure how helpful this link is. I haven't used Steam Link in ages. From what I gather it is very picky.
Steam Support :: Steam Link - Suggested Network Settings
GeforceNow doesn't have the issue because they have already tuned their side for the best experience leaving your internet as the only wildcard.
For PC as server with AMD graphics card and iOS clients there is the native AMD Link.
For PC as server (NVIDIA/AMD) and Mac client:
- There is Parsec which I found to be too blurry for faster movement and I despise the need for an account/login.
- The best performance so far I achieved with Sunshine for Windows and the matching Moonlight Client.
(I use a 5K monitor with the Mac while the PC running Windows is set to 2560x1440. Instead of the native Mac client, I run the Windows client via Crossover which leads to a crisp 1440p image instead of a smoothed/softened one. The latter is not necessary for normal displays, i.e. non-Retina.)
All of the above allow streaming of the desktop or any other app/game.
AMD Link and Sunshine/Moonlight don‘t require an account or payment.
For PC as server (NVIDIA/AMD) and Mac client:
- There is Parsec which I found to be too blurry for faster movement and I despise the need for an account/login.
- The best performance so far I achieved with Sunshine for Windows and the matching Moonlight Client.
(I use a 5K monitor with the Mac while the PC running Windows is set to 2560x1440. Instead of the native Mac client, I run the Windows client via Crossover which leads to a crisp 1440p image instead of a smoothed/softened one. The latter is not necessary for normal displays, i.e. non-Retina.)
All of the above allow streaming of the desktop or any other app/game.
AMD Link and Sunshine/Moonlight don‘t require an account or payment.
My "daily" driver is an old iMac placed in the living room. I play games through bootcamp, but the age is showing and the GPU just does not cut it anymore on newer games. But other than that, its running great in MacOS, so besides gaming, I have no reason to buy a new computer. Instead of buying a new Mac Mini + monitor (which cannot run bootcamp) I am thinking about buying a gaming PC and place it out if sight (and noise) and game on as a "local" cloud gaming PC.
Not anymore. Using the H264 and HEVC hardware encoder with an RX 6800 XT.
But as it is a compressed video stream it will never look as perfect as playing directly on the PC.
And noise is not that much of an argument with newer cards if you pick a custom model with big cooler and fans. So honestly I‘d recommend picking the right hardware for direct gaming as streaming is always a compromise.
I decided to use streaming for CAD from the Mac but do gaming locally on the PC.
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Let her chose/decorate the caseThere is also a wife/aesthetics-factor to the problem
Or route a HDMI cable through the wall.
But back to streaming: In case it’s relevant for you, AMD Link has a native Apple TV client.
EDIT: And aesthetics aside, there is the possibility to connect an eGPU to your Mac. You get slightly bottlenecked by Thunderbolt 2 and by using the iMacs internal display, but I wanted to mention it nonetheless. It should work in macOS and Bootcamp according to builds at egpu.io .
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