The future of PC gaming is portable, and I am here for it. Of course, PCs and dedicated consoles aren't going away anytime soon, but most gamers will be perfectly happy with their handheld devices, in my opinion, and I am already one of them. Not only am I spending more time away from my desk, playing games on my Steam Deck, but I am doing so without compromising on quality or missing out any of my favorites that aren't tied to my Steam library. I've also been playing a lot of my PC games remotely on various devices like smartphones, MacBook, and more with Moonlight, and can't recommend it enough. In fact, here are a few reasons why I believe every PC gamer should consider checking out Moonlight and dive into the world of remote gaming.

1 Wide availability

Available on more platforms than you think

One of the main reasons I absolutely love Moonlight is that it's available on a wide variety of devices, and it works flawlessly on all of them. It's available on Android phones and tablets, Apple iPhones and iPads, Amazon Fire tablets, Android TV and streaming devices, Apple TV, Windows and macOS PCs, Linux, and more. Heck, you can even use it on Raspberry Pi 4 and ChromeOS systems, making it much superior to something like Steam Link with limited availability. This allows me to stream and play my favorite games on a variety of devices that I have besides my gaming rig, be it an Android phone, iPhone, or even my Steam Deck. The fact that I don't have to pick and choose which devices to carry with me on-the-go to stream my games makes it very convenient.

I've been using Moonlight a lot lately to stream my PC games and play them on the Viture One smart glasses using the Neckband accessory that runs Android TV and has a bunch of streaming and remote gaming apps. I've also installed Moonlight on my Steam Deck using which I stream more demanding titles that I can't run natively on the Deck. I am talking about titles like Cyberpunk 2077 running in RT Overdrive mode with max graphics settings, something which even the best handheld gaming consoles can't run.

2 Better than Steam Link

Moonlight is more reliable and seamless

You might be wondering why someone would use a third-party tool for something that can easily be done via Steam Link. Well, Steam Link, in case you don't know, is only good for streaming the titles in your Steam library. Yes, you can add non-Steam games to your library and try launching them on other platforms via Steam Link, but you'll run into a ton of issues which often make it impossible to stream them.

I always experience poor streaming quality or complete black screen errors while streaming non-Steam games via Steam Link, even though the ones in my library work just fine on the same network. This is true for both bigger AAA titles as well as relatively less demanding indie games, which makes me believe that it has more to do with platform restrictions than the type or quality of the game being streamed. Moonlight, on the other hand, doesn't discriminate games based on where you bought them from. I can stream Alan Wake 2 from my Epic Game library just as flawlessly as Cyberpunk 2077 and others from my Steam library using Moonlight.

I also run into fewer stream drops and packet loss while streaming via Moonlight compared to Steam Link on the same network, so I'd say Moonlight is much better for those who happen to have more games spread across different libraries outside Steam. I also like the fact that I don't have to go through the steps of adding a particular title as a non-Steam game first and then go through Steam's Big Picture mode to play something. Moonlight is fairly straightforward in comparison, as it automatically detects and lists all your games for you when you launch the app, complete with all the important details. Launching the game of your choice from a list of automatically detected games only takes three steps as highlighted in the steps and the screenshots below.

1. Launch the Moonlight client on your device.
2. Select your PC.
3. Select the game to launch.

3 Good for remote file access

A solid alternative to tools like TeamViewer

I also find it easier to use Moonlight for just remote access to my PC, meaning I can use it for more than just gaming. Unlike Steam Link, which forces me to enter the Big Picture more or starts choking as soon as I quit the game, Moonlight allows me to freely access all parts of my PC without any issues. It's also easier to access your PC remotely on a smartphone via Moonlight as you can easily control the cursor with touch input and browse all your local files.

That allows me to download and store all my favorite media files on my PC and access them on any of the Moonlight-supported devices like Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and more. And since you can access your PC remotely using Moonlight even when the host and client aren't on the same network, you can use it to stream movies and shows that are stored on your PC, or access photos and other important files that you may not want to leave your PC. Alternatively, you can also use it to take control and troubleshoot a PC remotely, making it a solid alternative to tools like TeamViewer.

4 Completely free

And very easy to install and use

If — for some reason — you're still not convinced to try Moonlight, then would it help if I told you it's completely free to use, and you don't have to pay a subscription fee or even make a one-time purchase? That's right, Moonlight is open-source software that lets you do everything I mentioned above for free. It was essentially developed as a hackathon project back in 2013 that uses Nvidia's GameStream technology, but it has now evolved into one of the most popular game-streaming tools out there.

Part of the reason why Moonlight is so popular is that it's very easy to set up and get started with. It honestly took me less than five minutes to get both the host and client up and running on the same network, and I was already streaming all my favorite AAA titles installed on my gaming PC on my Steam Deck and smartphone with Moonlight. You can also set up Moonlight to work over the internet, so you can stream all your PC games remotely even when you're not on the same network. The setup process for that is also fairly simple, and you should be able to set things up in no time by following the instructions over at GitHub.

Limitations and closing thoughts

One of the limitations of Moonlight is that it works only on PCs with an Nvidia graphics card as it relies on Nvidia's GameStream technology. Those using a PC with an AMD or an Intel GPU, however, can use the Sunshine tool, which is an aptly-named open-source host for Moonlight that doesn't rely on Nvidia's GameStream technology, meaning it won't impact your remote game streams should Nvidia decide to nuke GameStream from GeForce Experience in the future. I've configured both on my PC to ensure I can always stream my games remotely, even when I am away from my PC, but you should be fine using Moonlight for now.

There's nothing more satisfying than being able to carry your favorite PC games with you when you're away from your computer, and being able to play them on something like a smartphone with a controller. And the fact that you can do it for free makes it even better. It's also great for those who don't have access to or don't want to pay for cloud streaming services like GeForce Now.