Latency

Latency, or input lag, affects how responsive your controls feel. Moonbeam provides options to manage latency expectations given your current network conditions.

Note

Moonbeam doesn’t directly control latency, but it can measure and respond to it before initiating a Moonlight stream.

Latency Expectations

Latency	Impact
< 20ms	Optimal for all streaming, including fast-paced games
20-50ms	Good for most games and applications
50-100ms	Noticeable delay, may affect fast-paced games
> 100ms	Significant impact, may reduce video quality or frame rate

Setting Maximum Latency

Use the --max-latency option to set the maximum acceptable latency in milliseconds:

moonbeam --max-latency 50 stream MyHost "My Game"

Tip

For competitive gaming or applications requiring quick reactions, prioritize lower latency. For cinematic games or productivity apps, you might prefer higher quality even with slightly increased latency.

If the measured latency exceeds this threshold, Moonbeam will notify you and abort the connection. In such cases, you may want to try finding a better network connection or optimizing your current network setup before attempting to stream again.

Balancing Quality and Responsiveness

Lower latency often requires sacrificing some video quality. Find the right balance for your needs.

Games Suitable for High-Latency Environments

In some cases, you might encounter network conditions that result in unavoidably high latency (100ms or more). In these situations, some games are more forgiving and can still provide an enjoyable experience despite the higher latency.

For example, these games typically don’t require split-second reactions or precise timing, allowing you to play comfortably even with noticeable input lag:

1. Turn-based Strategy Games (e.g., Civilization VI, XCOM 2)
2. Puzzle Games (e.g., Baba Is You, The Witness)
3. Visual Novels (e.g., Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc)
4. Point-and-Click Adventure Games (e.g., The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition, Grim Fandango Remastered)
5. Card Games (e.g., Slay the Spire)
6. Turn-based RPGs (e.g., Divinity: Original Sin 2, Baldur’s Gate 3)
7. City-building and Management Games (e.g., Cities: Skylines, RimWorld)
8. Interactive Storytelling Games (e.g., Life is Strange, The Walking Dead)
9. Tactical RPGs (e.g., Disgaea PC)
10. Slow-paced Simulation Games (e.g., Stardew Valley, Euro Truck Simulator 2)

Tip

Experiment with different settings to find the best balance between image quality and responsiveness for your specific network conditions and game choice.

For more detailed information on optimizing latency, check out the latency section of the network considerations guide.