Moonlight Game Streaming vs PXPlay
Moonlight Game Streaming
moonlight-stream.orgPXPlay
streamingdv.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Moonlight Game Streaming | PXPlay |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 6 |
| Spec score · Game Remote Play Software | 8.7 (#3) | 8.9 (#2) |
| Licence | Moonlight client code is published on GitHub under the GPLv3 licence. | PXPlay is proprietary software licensed for personal use; a valid key is required for the full PC port and standalone Android APK. |
| Rating on Google Play | 4.5 out of 5 from 15.8K reviews | 4.6 out of 5 from 19.4K reviews |
| What it does | Moonlight streams games, applications, or a complete PC desktop from a gaming computer to another supported device over local networks or the Internet. | PXPlay streams PlayStation console games to supported phones, tablets, computers, televisions and handheld devices, and can also act as a virtual controller. |
Plans
PXPlay
- PXPlay iOS/Apple TVFree
- PXPlay Android$6.99, paid once
- PXPlay (PSPlay) PC€12.99, paid once
- PXPlay (PSPlay) Android APK licensePrice not published
- PXPlay (PSPlay) Android Google PlayPrice not published
- PXPlay (PSPlay) iOS / Apple TVPrice not published
In their own words
Moonlight Game Streaming
Moonlight Game Streaming sends games from a gaming PC to supported devices for remote play. It is a free, open-source implementation of NVIDIA's GameStream protocol; the listed plan costs nothing, with no subscriptions or paid versions with extra features. Clients are available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Apple TV, ChromeOS, Steam Link, and Raspberry Pi. On a capable client, Moonlight can stream a full Windows desktop at up to 4K with HDR. Its PC client supports up to 120 FPS and can disable V-Sync for lower latency. Users can host their own gaming server using options such as port forwarding, IPv6, ZeroTier, Tailscale, and NordVPN Meshnet. Moonlight recommends Sunshine as a host; GeForce Experience is also listed as compatible, though NVIDIA is discontinuing its GameStream feature. Wolf can stream games and applications running in Docker containers. There is no pure web client because the protocol requires raw TCP and UDP sockets that browsers do not support. The project began as a 2013 hackathon project by Case Western Reserve University students.
PXPlay
PXPlay streams a supported PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 console to another device for remote play, and can also make that device a virtual controller. The maker lists customizable on-screen gamepad layouts, button mapping, multiple console profiles, and a gamepad-only mode. Client options include Android, iOS, Apple TV, Windows, Linux, and macOS; the listed maximum resolution is 4k, and the PC and Android store pages describe upscaling. Remote connections can use an experimental automatic mode or manual router port forwarding. Automatic access requires a console PSN connection, current firmware, and account registration; registration must happen on the console's network. The manual recommends 5 GHz Wi-Fi for the client, a wired console connection, and at least 15 Mbps upload and download. Automatic access can fail on some networks, including those where the console has NAT type 3. The PC license costs €12.99 as a one-time purchase purchase for one user, and a demo is available before purchase.