Tutorial  Updated

Stream your PC games/emulators to the Switch

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Streaming my favorite PC games or emulators has been a thing I and many others wanted to do on our switch.
In-Home Switching has been around since the early days of the Switch homebrew. But it was far from offering a "normal" streaming experience. The audio quality was far from the norms and acceptable. Visual quality was pretty bad as well with horrendously rendered blotchy and jaggy graphics that was simply unplayable. Fast forward to now and we have android on the Switch, namely allowing us to stream games and what not else!
Having said all of that though don't expect a flawless and seamless streaming experience on android either, as no streaming service is free of those aforementioned issues so bear with me.
For this guide's sake I'll be using Moonlight as it's easy to set up, configure, it gets the job done and it just works.
Keep in mind however that Moonlight was designed to be used specifically in conjunction with NVIDIA's GameStream service, hence you might have to look for something else if you don't own a GPU (there should be some workarounds on the internet, look them up)
On a side note, using NVIDIA Shield's built-in Ganestream app won't work, so for now. If your PC happens to have a NVIDIA GPU, use moonlight, and if not then look out for other alternatives.
Most of you guys here know how to set up up game streaming but, for those who aren't familiar with this thing this guide shall serve as a how-to for them.
Without any further chitchat, let's get to it!

Disclaimer
As with everything related to homebrew/modding/apps not licensed or endorsed by Nintendo (and their third parties) in any way, you run the risk of damaging/bricking your system, particularly when you don't know what exactly you're doing. Should you stumble into any difficulties along the set up process feel free to submit your inquiries below
NOTE that neither myself nor the developers of Switchroot Android, or the developers of Moonlight will be held liable for any damages that mighr occur
Hence, be civil.


What you'll need...
  • A hackable and functioning Nintendo Switch that is able to run Android
  • A good WiFi connection along with a decent router
  • The Moonlight Game Streaming client
  • A PC that has a NVIDIA GPU and GeForce Experience installed
  • Your desired games/emulators that you wish to stream over to your switch.
  • The Switch's JoyCon controllers or any other bluetooth capable gamepad

Installing Moonlight and dependencies

First and foremost, this guide assumes you've already installed Android onto your Switch, and configured it already, if not and are in need of a tutorial have a look here or at this guide.
Next step is to install GeForce Experience (if you own a NVIDIA GPU). The latest stable version of GeForce Experience is recommend to prevent any bugs or issues that might occur.
Once the setup is done downloading click on it, afterwards click on "Yes" if prompted by Windows to do so.
Let it install and be patient. It takes a little bit of time for said app to install.
Upon completion of the installation process the app will launch and you will be greeted by a window asking you to fill in your NVIDIA account credentials. If you don't have an account already simply create one or log in with your Google/Facebook account
Next click on the small wrench/gears icon
wrench.png
and then under the "SHIELD" menu tab. From there on you can enable "GAMESTREAM" by simply toggling it. If it alters the color to green it means gamestream was activated.
It should appear to be like this:
Untitled.png

On to your Switch..
Much like on the PCs part setting up the Moonlight Game streaming is pretty easy and self explenatory.
Launch the Play Store from your app drawer/launcher and type in "Moonlight" and Moonlight Game Streaming should pop up. Click install and let it download. It really shouldn't take that long but your internet speed comes into play for that
Once moonlight is done installing let's move on to the next step.

Configuring Moonlight & GameStream

First, ensure that your Switch and the PC you want to stream your games from are connected on the same WiFi network. If by any chance you're using a VPN and/or proxy server it would be best to disable them for now as they're are known to cause issues.

Launch GeForce Experience and under the shield menu (ensuring GameStream is ON) click on "Add" to add your desired games/emulators.
Browse to your location to where you have put your games and select them.
Now let's head back to the Switch and launch Moonlight
Shortly afterwards the app will scan for nearby computers that are paired on the same network as your switch. It shouldn't take that long for them to appear.
Click on the PC that shows up on Moonlight's list of available PCs. (Like "ASUS" in my case)
A menu will pup up displaying a randomly generated PIN which you will be enetering that on your computer.
Move on to your PC and enter that code displayed on the switch to a small pop-up window that ought to appear on the bottom right corner od your screen, then click on the green "Connect" button.

connect.png
If done correctly your switch and your PC should be paired and ready to stream games.
On your switch Moonlight will display a list of available games/emulators that you have added to GameStream over on your PC. If you wish to adjust your Moonlight settings and configs to your liking, simply click on the wrench icon on the top left corner of your switch and from there on edit the settings that you want to change.
With that being said, only edit something you're sure of and that wouldn't break your streaming. If you don't know what you're doing It's best to avoid them altogether.
Next I would suggest you to pair your JoyCons to your switch which is reallt easy to do.
Simply turn on Bluetooth and press the sync button on either of your JoyCons and select them on the available Bluetooth devices list to be paired to the console. Once they're all done slide them on their joycon rails and they should be good to go.


Configuring game controls/emulators

Normally by default your Android inputs are handled by the streaming apps and send to your PC over the network and they emulate an Xbox 360 controller, hence making it easier for you to play your streamed games without having to go through the hassle of manually having to bind controls to each controller button.
Still if you wish to customise your controls on any given game you can do so just as you would with a regular controller.
Emulators on the other hand might not recognize over-the-network inputs and might require to be manually set up.
Just make sure there isn't another gamepad connected to your PC in case you confuse your inputs.
For instance to make your switch network inputs with, say PCSX2, click on Config > Controllers (PAD) > Plugin Settings... From there on set the input API to "DirectInput" and tick "DirectInput" under Game Device APIs. Click on the Pads 1 tab then bind your controls to your desired input buttons.
Keep note that not all emulators require the same API for inputs. RPCS3 for instance uses the Xinput for controls over-the-network with Moonlight.
Every app is diffrent.


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And pretty much that's basically it guys. If you followed the steps correctly your streaming app ought to work by now.
If not, then re-read what i wrote or feel free to ask me about it,
Really it's not something that difficult of a task to achieve.


Troubleshooting and FAQ

Now while streaming on Android is leagues better than inHomeSwitching slowdowns, stuttering and occasional bugs here and there are to be expected.No streaming service is perfect, hence expect slight input lag Likewise battery drain issues are apparent as well and you may hear your Switch's fan make a bit of noise, so plugging your switch in a wall charger is recommended during long play sessions. If available the 5GHz network band should be used for better connectivity and an overall better streaming experience.
Stay in a close proximity to your PC and ensure there's no objects that may cause network interferance

If you're tethering WifI Hotspot from your phone..
Some Android devices, particularly the old ones might render your shared hotspot as a metered connection, thus resulting in really bad slowdowns in streaming. To avoid this i would suggest you to USB tether to your PC, and use your PCs mobile hotspot to share wifi to the switch. That seemed to work for me.
If you've got more questions and concerns regarding Moonlight and it's streaming service refer to the Official Troubleshooting webpage.
 
Last edited by NoNAND,

tabzer

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I have NVIDIA, but my cards are too old for streaming. I don't think SteamLink requires a separate article, but I am curious what the advantages/disadvantages are compared to NVIDIA's shield stream.
 
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NoNAND

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I have NVIDIA, but my cards are too old for streaming. I don't think SteamLink requires a separate article, but I am curious what the advantages/disadvantages are compared to NVIDIA's shield stream.
Well. Steam Link was designed for use with the Steam app but I'm sure there ought to be a means of getting it to work past the Steam app enviorment allowing you to run emulators and such.
I believe the only advantage GameStream has got over the other is better hardware acceleration and optimizations for NVIDIA GPUs.
 

Mythical

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Well. Steam Link was designed for use with the Steam app but I'm sure there ought to be a means of getting it to work past the Steam app enviorment allowing you to run emulators and such.
I believe the only advantage GameStream has got over the other is better hardware acceleration and optimizations for NVIDIA GPUs.
I use steam link to open playnite/kodi (I added them as a nonsteam game) and can load games from there
there also is a project on github that appears to be broken that allows the same thing
 
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phonz

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SteamLink got your back then.
I'm not sure whether i should include that in the OP as i don't use Steam but whatever.
I would include SteamLink.
Geforce Experience causes issues with some software, so many people (like myself) don't keep it installed.
Also, there have been recent issues regarding exploits and security with Geforce Experience as well. But the same could be said about the steam client too.

Great guide though, many thanks!
Love seeing formatting and pics :P
 
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mambonumberfice

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It might be interesting to mention that you should be able to play remotely by installing the Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool

I haven't tested this myself as I am still waiting for my jig to arrive but if anyone (with an Nvidia GPU) wants to try out:

(github)/moonlight-stream/moonlight-docs/wiki/Setup-Guide#streaming-over-the-internet

EDIT: Note that this experiment might not be viable for your usual mobile data connections ( I tested steam link on Android and a quick 5 minute gameplay of GTA V used about 450 MBs, on wi-fi).
 
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GaaraPrime

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This guide worked PERFECT! I used it to set up Android on my Switch and then Moonlight to stream games off my PC.
I played Warframe and Gears 5 and both the games worked great, without any issues. Just set the stream bitrate to 720p and you won't face any lag.
 
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