Cloud gaming is a neat utility when you want to game on the move, but what if you already own a behemoth of a gaming machine? Well, you can leverage remote game streaming tools to run your favorite titles on your battle station and enjoy them on a different device. But then you’ve got to choose between a Sunshine server + Moonlight client and a Parsec machine. As someone who has experimented with both, I’d rate the holy Moonlight/Sunshine combo higher than its rival.

4 Advanced features aren’t paywalled

Subscription fees, begone!

Since you’re hosting games on your own hardware rather than relying on a proprietary server, you’d expect remote game streaming platforms to be available for free. Although you’ll get most of the essential facilities without spending a dime, Parsec requires you to pay for a couple of advanced options. For instance, the superior colors of the 4:4:4 mode are available on the paid tiers. Likewise, Parsec's free edition doesn’t support virtual monitors and multi-displays.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine server and Moonlight client let you enjoy your favorite titles with the crisp colors of the YUV 4:4:4 space. Although Sunshine doesn’t support virtual displays, you can use Cynary’s plugin or the virtual display driver to add this functionality to your remote game streaming server. Assuming your PC has enough horsepower, you can run two Sunshine server instances and stream them to two different Moonlight apps on your smartphone/laptop to simulate a multi-monitor setup.

3 No mandatory sign-ups here

A no-nonsense self-hosted remote gaming setup

One of my biggest pet peeves with Parsec is that it forces you to sign in to an account every time you use a new machine. Since you have to rely on external servers for authentication, you won’t be able to access your gaming rig if your systems are unable to connect to Parsec’s servers.

In contrast, Sunshine relies on PIN-based authentication, which works pretty well regardless of whether you have a local Moonlight client or use ZeroTier/Tailscale to access the game server from a separate network.

2 Compatible with more devices

Perfect for Linux-powered game servers

So long as you’re using a Windows or Mac device as the game server, you won’t have to deal with compatibility issues on Parsec or Sunshine. But if you want to stream games from a Linux-based server, Sunshine is your best bet as Parsec still hasn’t released a version for Linux distributions yet.

Unlike Parsec, the Moonlight client is available on multiple platforms besides Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. You can set up Moonlight on ChromeOS and iOS, and – if you’re willing to mess with Homebrew apps – you can even control your gaming PC from a Nintendo Switch and PlayStation Vita. Heck, you can even get it running on something as underpowered as the Anbernic RG35XXSP!

1 Better performance

And lower latency

Although both Parsec and Sunshine + Moonlight offer a responsive experience when streaming to another PC over a LAN setup, the latter’s better if you want better performance over Wi-Fi. In my tests, the Sunshine and Moonlight combo had lower latency and wasn’t as full of visual artifacts as Parsec – despite using the same bandwidth and resolution settings for both setups.

In case you’re trying to game from an external network, you’ll also have to take the Internet speed of your ISP into the equation. Don’t get me wrong, Parsec is a solid option when you don’t mind turning the resolution down or just want to play casual games. But if you’re a fan of hack-and-slash games where every microsecond of input lag increases your chances of getting an untimely game-over screen, a Sunshine and Moonlight server is the option.

Nevertheless, Parsec has its own advantages

Although Sunshine + Moonlight triumphs over Parsec for most of my needs, it’s time to go over the scenarios where you might prefer the latter. Let’s say you want to enable remote game streaming over the Internet, but aren’t keen on setting up multiple apps. Parsec provides a simple solution to your gaming conundrum. Similarly, if you’re more concerned about sharing your PC for non-gaming tasks, you’ll have a better time with Parsec as it offers plenty of QoL facilities for remote desktop workloads.