LibNXbox vs Pulsar

LibNXbox is free GPL-2.0 homebrew software that streams from an Xbox console or Xbox Cloud Gaming to a Nintendo Switch. Download the libnxbox.nro file from GitHub releases and run it in title mode; applet mode crashes. For home streaming, the NRO discovers the console in the same manner as xbox.com/play. The README describes launching cloud titles through a Moonlight Switch NRO forwarder using a game AppID. LibNXboxNROHelper can search the Microsoft Store and create game-art thumbnails plus a titles.txt file containing titles and xCloud AppIDs. Video is listed as 1280×720 H.264 using Tegra X1 NVDEC decoding, with stereo Opus audio at 48 kHz and an approximately 60 ms latency target. Authentication uses Microsoft’s servers and saves a token on the SD card. Queue times and service restrictions are not bypassed.

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.