With the right app, you can play PC games on a TV.

When selecting your streaming PC, keep in mind that your CPU does most of the work encoding video for your stream. Reference How to stream on Intel for further instructions. If you’re using an internal capture card, install it in your streaming PC by following the manufacturer-provided instructions. The game will also be displayed on the host PC’s screen, so don’t plan on using your primary PC for something else while you stream games to another PC.


2. You can even repurpose old hardware to achieve this, assuming it meets the minimum specs for the streaming platform of your choice. Playing video games requires processing power, and that kind of power is expensive.

Microsoft hasn't announced what the price structure of Project xCloud will be when it is publicly released, or what games will be available. When you launch it for the first time, it'll scan your network for computers running Steam and present a list of them. Check out Moonlight's setup guide and troubleshooting page for more. When you click Connect, your phone or tablet will present you with a list of games, ready to stream. Both OBS* and SLOBS* are free to install on your machine of choice, and support dual-streaming setups with capture cards. Graphics and streaming were comparable in my tests, but it'll depend heavily on your device and network quality. Pay close attention to the pop-ups Steam offers about controls—many iOS controllers, for example, don't tend to have clickable thumbsticks, so you'll need to press Menu+X and Menu+Y. Here's how to use it and an open-source alternative, Moonlight. If you plan on simultaneous in-game chat, you’ll need a separate mixer with at least two channels: one to go to the gaming PC, and one that goes into the streaming PC so that the microphone is available to both machines. Toggle the GameStream switch to on.

Capture cards have the input and output ports you need to broadcast real-time video from the gaming rig to your stream machine. Learn More.

It’s a great way to get even more control over your streaming experience, and potentially improve the quality of your stream.

It's a bit clunky, but it works. GeForce Now works best with an Xbox Wireless Controller, but you can also use any wireless gamepad that works similarly over XInput. Every service except PlayStation Now has an Android app, though you're limited to Google Stadia and the Project xCloud game streaming test if you want to play on your iPhone or iPad.
I recommend digging into the Streaming section, where you can change the video quality to "Fast" if your network is a little choppy, or "Beautiful" if you have the bandwidth for better graphics, as well as tweak some advanced settings.

You'll have a much better experience if you play with a dedicated gamepad. PC clients have the added benefit of supporting Ethernet connections as well as Wi-Fi.

If you tap the More button along the bottom, you’ll get some other settings, like which screen to show when you launch Steam, what resolution you’d like to play at, and more. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Features. After all, you're accessing a Windows 10 PC directly, and the ability to move a pointer and enter text is very useful. This method should work whether you have an iOS or Android device. PCMag is obsessed with culture and tech, offering smart, spirited coverage of the products and innovations that shape our connected lives and the digital trends that keep us talking. PCMag Digital Group. There is no right or wrong way to accessorize your 2 PC stream setup. Heavy focus on '80s-era arcade and computer games. Once you’ve assembled your hardware, including your gaming PC and streaming PC, you’ll need to start rounding up software — including streaming software.



You'll need to download streaming software to your machine before you can go live. Dropped Frames If your computer can't keep up with encoding, your Internet connection isn't quite fast enough, there's congestion on the Internet between you and the streaming server, or the Ingest server is very busy, you may see that your stream drops frames.