Playing PC/PS4 Games on iPad

[Jeff Strong]

Anyone that has a gaming PC with an Nvidia video card definitely needs to try this out. I've been streaming everything from XCOM 2 to Assassin's Creed to Wii emulators straight to the comfort of my couch/bed/patio on my iPad. Especially awesome if you have a Xbox controller or anything bluetooth.

All you need to do is download the free app called Moonlight and then it uses Nvidia's built in Game Stream to allow you to stream anything from your Steam, Origin, etc. You can even add third-party games or apps such as emulators so you can play everything from NES on up to Gamecube/Wii on your iPad. Your PC does all the heavy lifting so it doesn't really matter what iPad you have as long as you have a decent gaming PC. You can crank all the quality settings to the max, and it runs smooth as hell even with an aging video card (I'm still rocking my GTX 960).

I've tested it extensively over the past year or so and it's amazing. If you'd like to try it, just let me know if you need any help.

EDIT:

For streaming PS4 games, download the R-Play app. It’s not free, but it’s awesome and definitely worth the money if you want to play PS4 game on your iPad.

 

[francis247uk]

Sounds interesting Jeff - main 2 questions:

Does playing a game like this result in noticeable input lag, which would be game breaking on pinball?
What sort of internet connection is needed/recommended - mines 35Mbps, is this enough?

 

[MadAxeMan]

iOS appears to be unavailable
sounds really cool

 

[Jeff Strong]

Sounds interesting Jeff - main 2 questions:

Does playing a game like this result in noticeable input lag, which would be game breaking on pinball?
What sort of internet connection is needed/recommended - mines 35Mbps, is this enough?

I've only tried playing on my local wifi, so I don't know how well it would work away from home. I'm guessing it would be fine for RPG or strategy games, but pinball would probably be a no-go. Since I work from home, my only use for it atm is to stream to a more comfortable area of the house (couch/bed/patio). From my testing, there is no input lag while playing on my home network. I've been playing a ton of fast-paced Nintendo games and all is well. This was my main concern when first trying it last year, and I'm happy to report it's smooth sailing. Occasionally I will get a slight framerate hitch, but I think that's the fault of the sub-par video card on my PC.

iOS appears to be unavailable
sounds really cool

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/moonlight-game-streaming/id1000551566?mt=8

 

[BostonBuckeye]

Thanks Jeff. This sounds great. Just downloaded the App to my iPad and will try it out tonight.

 

[BostonBuckeye]

Jeff, This app is a bust for me. Moonlight cannot find my host PC using any of the ip's listed in ipconfig, and keeps prompting me to ensure gamestream is running on the host. According to a forum on NVIDIA's site some people started experiencing this issue after the Windows 10 Fall Creator's Update which is what I am running. They reported it was working prior to this update for them. Have you heard anything about this issue and how to fix it? Thanks.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Jeff, This app is a bust for me. Moonlight cannot find my host PC using any of the ip's listed in ipconfig, and keeps prompting me to ensure gamestream is running on the host. According to a forum on NVIDIA's site some people started experiencing this issue after the Windows 10 Fall Creator's Update which is what I am running. They reported it was working prior to this update for them. Have you heard anything about this issue and how to fix it? Thanks.

I have not. I'm running the Fall Creator's Update as well. I'll let you know if I find any answers for you.

 

[BostonBuckeye]

I have not. I'm running the Fall Creator's Update as well. I'll let you know if I find any answers for you.

Thanks Jeff. I also read that the issue may be with the current version‎ of GeForce Experience (‎3.11.0.73). Which version are you running?

 

[Jeff Strong]

Thanks Jeff. I also read that the issue may be with the current version‎ of GeForce Experience (‎3.11.0.73). Which version are you running?

I'm still running 3.10.X so maybe I dodged a bullet there.

 

[Jeff Strong]

For anyone that has a PS4, I just came across an iOS app called R-Play that lets you stream games to your iPad and it’s pretty awesome. It’s even smoother than PC streaming for me.

Also, the official Steam app is coming soon to iOS, so that should be pretty nice as well (no more need for 3rd party apps, and doesn’t require an Nvidia card).

 

[Heretic]

Get yer lazy ass outta the hottub

 

[Jeff Strong]

Get yer lazy ass outta the hottub

haha, or better yet come join me. Streaming games to the cabana while the rest of the world goes insane. Gotta keep your ginger ass out of the sun tho.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Wow, Jeff, I had just been telling a friend how awesome it'd be to be able to play PS4 games on the iPad. I'm going to look into this app... maybe I'll wait until after E3 in case Sony has plans for an official iOS remote play app.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Gord, that would be awesome if they did release an official one. I’ve been waiting a couple years for it (since they released the PC app) so I couldn’t wait any longer when I found this 3rd-party app. Gotta tip my hat to the developer because it’s really well done. I’m playing fast-paced games such as Shadow of War at 1080p @ 60fps and there’s no noticeable input lag (I’m averaging 1ms of latency which is really freakin’ amazing). Also I never thought it would be possible to stream sports games since they’re so timing dependent and the slightest bit of input delay would make them unplayable, but I’ve been playing a ton of MLB 18 The Show and have no issues nailing the timing meters. It’s really pretty incredible.

Only thing is, you need to make sure your PS4 is plugged into your rouuer with an ethernet cable and you need 5ghz wifi. My router has 2 channels, so I make sure my wife uses the 2.4ghz channel for Netflix and stuff while I keep the 5ghz dedicated to gaming .

 

[Gord Lacey]

Yeah, I've already played a ton of PS4 on my Mac through remote play, so I've had my PS4 Pro wired for awhile and I run my iPad on a 5g network at home. I think I'll just buy the thing and play with it. Sitting outside in our gazebo while playing PS4 is very tempting.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Right on. It’s definitely worth the cash imo, for exactly that reason.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Bought it, and yes, I played some PS4 while sitting on the patio. Thanks for the recommendation, Jeff. It's pretty awesome.

 

[Jeff Strong]

You’re welcome. I’m glad to pass the awesomeness on.

 

[Jeff Strong]

Sigh...

https://www.cnet.com/news/valve-accuses-apple-of-rejecting-steam-link-mobile-streaming-app/

Hopefully they don’t start cracking down on other apps.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Wow, that's unfortunate. Also a bit crazy for something that high-profile to be rejected by Apple after it was announced.