How Punktfunk compares

Punktfunk next to Sunshine, three of its forks, Steam Remote Play and Parsec. The short version first, then every feature with a source.

What Punktfunk does differently

  • Its own apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android, Windows, Linux and Steam Deck. Moonlight still connects too.
  • Every client gets its own virtual display at its exact resolution and refresh rate, on Windows and Linux. Several people can stream at once.
  • Every stream is encrypted, with a post-quantum key exchange. Sunshine sends video on your LAN unencrypted by default.
  • Lossless 96 kHz audio, and your microphone reaches the host.
  • Each device gets its own rights: full control, controller only or view only.
  • The bitrate adapts to your network by itself. Sunshine streams at the fixed rate Moonlight asks for.
  • No account, no cloud service: your devices pair with a PIN. Steam and Parsec need an account.

Where the others are ahead

  • Sunshine, Steam and Parsec also host on macOS, Sunshine and Steam on X11 desktops too. Most of the others run on Windows 10. Punktfunk needs Wayland or Windows 11.
  • Sunshine has years of field use, a large community and packages for more distributions.
  • Sunshine-Foundation goes further on HDR, with HLG, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision. It also forwards USB devices and shares folders.
  • Vibeshine streams to a browser and syncs Playnite, Steam and Lutris without plugins.
  • Steam Remote Play and Parsec work away from home without router setup, and a friend joins from an invite link.
  • Without a usable GPU, Punktfunk streams H.264 only.

Feature by feature

Pick a project to set against Punktfunk. The small numbers link to the source behind each answer.

YesPartlyNoNot documented
Punktfunkby unomSunshineby LizardByte
Platforms
Windows host
Windows 11 22H2 or later1Windows 11 or later2
Linux host
Wayland only: KDE, GNOME, gamescope, Sway, Hyprland3,4X11 and Wayland5
macOS host
the Mac is a client, by design6without virtual gamepads2
Own client apps
iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Android phone and TV, Windows, Linux, Steam Deck7uses Moonlight2
Works with Moonlight
after one switch in the console82
Browser client
a preview, off by default92
Streaming
Automatic bitrate
the default: adapts to the link and probes its capacity10streams at the rate Moonlight asks for5,11
Error correction
follows the loss the client reports12,13fixed at 20 %; skipped on frames over about 800 packets5,14
Codec for minimal latency
PyroWave, opt-in, for wired networks155
Security
Encrypted stream
always, with a post-quantum key exchange16,17optional, off by default on the LAN5
Rights per device
full control, controller only, view only, or your own mix185
Works without an account
your devices pair with a PIN32
Video
Codecs
H.264, HEVC, AV1, PyroWave3,15H.264, HEVC, AV15
4:4:4 colour
HEVC, Punktfunk apps45
HDR
HDR10 on Windows and gamescope19HDR105
Displays
Virtual display on Windows
own signed driver, works on the lock screen3changes your real display instead5
Virtual display on Linux
KDE, GNOME, gamescope, Sway, Hyprland205
Matches the client's resolution and refresh
a display per client20resizes your real display, if the client asks5
Several clients at once
each on its own display, four by default21several instances are not advised22
Game keeps running after a disconnect
display and game stay up20the game does; display settings revert5
Audio
Surround
5.1 and 7.14,10through Steam Streaming Speakers5
Lossless audio
96 kHz, 24-bit4Opus only5
Microphone to the host
every app except Apple TV45
Input
Virtual gamepads on Windows
own drivers, in the installer3a paid driver, or the retired ViGEmBus5
Rumble, motion, adaptive triggers
DualSense, DualShock 4, Switch Pro, Steam Controller23motion and touchpad as a DualShock 45
Pen and touch
three touch modes, plus pen245
Shared clipboard
text and images; not yet in the Linux app25,45
File transfer
not yet65
USB devices
through the VirtualHere plugin265
Library and network
Game library
launcher plugins, plus your own titles26added by hand5
Wake-on-LAN
the apps wake it; the host checks it is set up27a Moonlight feature only5
Away from home
Tailscale, Porthole or port forwarding; no relay28UPnP or port forwarding; no relay5
Open source
MIT or Apache-2.03GPL-3.02

No latency figures here yet. Only Parsec publishes one, from its own test setup, and a fair comparison needs every host on the same machine.

Punktfunk runs next to any of these while you try it. Next to a Sunshine host, one port moves.

Get PunktfunkSwitching guideThe longer story

Sources

Sunshine as read on 2026-09-11. Each answer cites the project's own docs where it publishes any, and a fork never cites docs it copied from Sunshine.

  1. Docs: Requirements
  2. Sunshine README
  3. Punktfunk README
  4. Docs: Support matrix
  5. Sunshine docs/configuration.md
  6. Docs: Roadmap
  7. Punktfunk data/platforms.json
  8. Docs: Moonlight
  9. Docs: The browser client (preview)
  10. Docs: Client settings
  11. Moonlight Qt streamingpreferences.cpp
  12. Docs: Configuration, PUNKTFUNK_FEC_PCT
  13. Punktfunk GF(2¹⁶) FEC (crates/punktfunk-core/src/fec/gf16.rs)
  14. Sunshine src/stream.cpp: FEC blocks per frame
  15. Docs: PyroWave
  16. Docs: Security
  17. Punktfunk post-quantum key-exchange test (crates/punktfunk-host/src/gamestream/cert.rs)
  18. Docs: Access levels
  19. Docs: HDR
  20. Docs: Virtual displays
  21. Docs: Multiple devices at once
  22. Sunshine docs/getting_started.md
  23. Punktfunk input injection (crates/pf-inject/src/inject)
  24. Docs: Mouse, touch and pen
  25. Docs: Clipboard
  26. Docs: Plugins
  27. Docs: Wake-on-LAN
  28. Docs: Friends over the internet