Greenlight vs Pulsar

Greenlight is a free, open-source client for Xbox Cloud Gaming and streaming from Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles. It carries console video and audio, with gamepad and keyboard controls; rumble is supported on xCloud. An online friends list shows which friends are currently online. Greenlight is made with JavaScript and TypeScript, and runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its WebUI can also make the client available over a network to devices using Chromium-based browsers. Downloads are offered as Flathub installations and precompiled release binaries. The V2 release is in maintenance mode: its developers plan critical bug fixes but no new features. Version 2.4.0 changed authentication from XAL to MSAL and added English, Russian, and Ukrainian localization; German was added in version 2.4.2. The application is reported to work on Steam Deck, with some small bugs and side effects. Greenlight says it is not affiliated with Microsoft, Xbox, or Moonlight.

Pulsar combines remote desktop control and low-latency game streaming in one free, open-source app. It is aimed at gamers and IT or support teams connecting to servers, client machines, or personal computers. Remote desktop tools include ID and one-time-password access, unattended access, file transfer, clipboard sync, session chat, multi-monitor support, and remote restart. Connections try peer-to-peer first and automatically use a relay if needed. For games, Pulsar supports hardware H.265 or AV1 encoding at up to 120 fps, HDR, ultrawide displays, multichannel audio, adaptive bitrate, and Xbox and PlayStation controller mapping. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android; the iOS App Store release is in development. The maker says no account is required and there are no ads or telemetry. Encryption keys are generated on user devices, and users can self-host a relay and device identity server with a Docker command. The plan is free, free forever.