PC gaming has long been the workhorse of powerful performance; The easy-to-upgrade components and constant technical improvements mean that many gamers prefer PC games over console games. Conversely, games on portable or handheld devices struggle to achieve the same level of performance. While the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck have made progress, their performance is still not at the same level.
What if there was a way to harness the power of your PC and stream PC games directly to your mobile device? Thankfully, there is such a method, and it’s easier to set up than you think.
Download NVIDIA GeForce Experience
The first thing you need is the NVIDIA GeForce Experience on your computer. Most PCs or laptops with NVIDIA graphics cards will come pre-installed with NVIDIA GeForce Experience software at the time of purchase. If you have your own video card installed, or if you don’t have pre-installed software, you’ll need to download GeForce Experience from the NVIDIA website.
Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the software. During installation, you may find that your screen flashes when detecting and configuring your graphics card.
Set up NVIDIA GeForce Experience
After installing and launching the software, navigate to Settings by selecting the gear in the upper-right corner of the window. You first need to make sure that your device is able to stream your game through NVIDIA Shield by checking the feature panel on the right and looking for the ready status under the Gamestream heading.
After confirming that your device can stream games through Shield, navigate to the Shield tab on the left. In the new screen, use the toggle at the top of the box to enable Gamestream. Your device can now stream any game connected to the NVIDIA GeForce Experience.
Go back to the “Home page” in the top left to see a list of games connected to the NVIDIA GeForce Experience. If there are no games here, or if the game you want to play on your mobile device is gone, use the gear to go back to the settings and select the game and app. Add any desired folders containing game executables to the Scan Location option (if your game is installed in a non-default location) and press the Scan Now button to find your game.
NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience supports a large number of games, but may not recognize every game you wish to be able to stream. If you are missing a game from your home page and the scanner can’t find it, you can add them directly to the Shield tab for streaming and add the game executable directly to the list of games and apps.
Download Moonlight on Your Mobile Device
Next, you need to download Moonlight to your mobile device. Moonlight is a free-to-use, open-source app that turns various devices into clients capable of connecting with the NVIDIA Game Stream. From the Client download drop-down menu, select the mobile device you are using and set up the application. Moonlight supports both Android and iOS, as well as a number of other platforms.
Open Moonlight on your mobile device and wait for the host device to appear in the list. If it doesn’t appear after a few seconds, you can manually add the host by IP address. Once the host device has been added, click on the entry to pair the device. Your mobile device will be connected to the host computer and provided with a PIN code that should be entered in the SHIELD pop-up window on your PC.
Once that PIN code is entered, your mobile device will give you a list of all the games linked to the NVIDIA GeForce Experience (or manually added as described above) that can be streamed directly to your mobile device.
Set up Internet streaming (optional)
Moonlight is now set up to enable you to stream games from your PC to your mobile device while connected to the same internet network. To be able to use your PC on any internet connection, you will need to download an additional Internet Hosting Tool onto your PC.
After installation, run the Moonlight Internet Streaming Test program to make sure it is installed correctly. If everything goes according to plan, your device is now ready to stream on the Internet. Allows you to play your PC games on your mobile device.
Enjoy PC games in the palm of your hand
With the power of NVIDIA and Moonlight, you can now play anywhere, even when you leave your PC. As the handheld device market continues to evolve, portable gaming may eventually become readers, competing perfectly with mobile and PC gaming experiences.
