Moonlight on Apple TV vs Steam Deck vs Android TV: what each can do
Short answer: They run different Moonlight apps. Apple TV uses Moonlight for tvOS: 30 or 60 fps and a fixed list of bitrates. Steam Deck runs Moonlight PC from Flathub, which matches the Deck’s screen and has a free bitrate slider. Android TV, Google TV and SHIELD use Moonlight for Android, which hides options the device can’t handle and can reach 90 or 120 fps on a display that reports it.
Checked October 30, 2026 against Moonlight PC v6.2.0 and Sunshine v2026.914.233613 (latest stable releases) and their documentation. Sources are listed at the end of the page.
Side by side
| Apple TV | Steam Deck | Android TV / Google TV / SHIELD | |
|---|---|---|---|
| App | Moonlight for tvOS | Moonlight PC (Flathub) | Moonlight for Android |
| Resolutions | 720p, 1080p (default), 1440p, 4K | Presets plus native and custom | 360p to 4K; unsupported ones hidden (default 720p) |
| Frame rates | 30 or 60 fps | 30, 60, each display’s refresh rate, or custom | 30, 60; 90 and 120 if the display reports them (or unlocked) |
| Bitrate | Fixed steps, 0.5 to 150 Mbps (default 20) | Slider, default follows resolution and fps | Slider, default follows resolution and fps |
| Frame pacing | Lowest Latency (default) or Smoothest Video | V-Sync (on) and Frame pacing (off) toggles | Four modes, default Prefer lowest latency |
| Codec choice | Auto, H.264, HEVC | Automatic, H.264, HEVC or AV1 | Automatic, or Prefer AV1 (Experimental), HEVC or H.264 |
| HDR | “Request HDR Video” (off) | “Enable HDR” (off), only where the client supports HDR | “Enable HDR (Experimental)” (off), HDR10 displays only |
| Surround | Stereo, LPCM 5.1, LPCM 7.1 | Stereo, 5.1, 7.1 | Stereo, 5.1, 7.1 |
From each app’s settings source code on the master branch, checked October 30, 2026.
Apple TV: what to know
- 60 fps is the ceiling, so put your effort into resolution and bitrate. On wired 4K, 80 Mbps matches Moonlight PC’s 4K60 default.
- Pair at home: tvOS can’t add a PC from outside the local network.
- Full guide: best Moonlight settings for Apple TV.
Steam Deck: what to know
- The current Steam Deck OLED has a 1280×800 screen at up to 90 Hz and Wi-Fi 6E, according to Valve’s specs. Moonlight PC adds the screen’s refresh rate to its frame rate list, so a 90 fps stream matches the panel.
- Moonlight PC’s default bitrate for 1280×800 is 11 Mbps at 60 fps and 13 Mbps at 90 fps. See the bitrate table.
- Black screen in Game Mode? See Steam Deck black screen.
Android TV, Google TV and SHIELD: what to know
- Defaults are conservative (720p60, 10 Mbps). Raise them first.
- Missing 4K or 120 fps options mean the device or display didn’t report support.
- Full guide: best Moonlight settings for Android TV and SHIELD.
All three
- Keep the gaming PC on Ethernet; Moonlight strongly recommends 5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 or 6 for the client if it can’t be wired.
- Turn on TV Game Mode for the input the Apple TV or Android box uses. See input lag.
FAQ
Which is better for Moonlight: Apple TV, Steam Deck or SHIELD?
They suit different setups. Apple TV caps at 60 fps with fixed bitrate steps; Steam Deck runs the full Moonlight PC app with a free bitrate slider and its own 90 Hz OLED screen; Android TV devices like SHIELD offer the most options but hide ones the hardware can’t support.
Can Apple TV stream 120 fps with Moonlight?
No. Moonlight for Apple TV offers 30 or 60 fps only.
Which Moonlight app runs on Steam Deck?
Moonlight PC, installed from Flathub (com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight). It has the same settings as the Windows, macOS and Linux versions.
Sources
- Moonlight for Apple TV source: settings list (Root.plist) (Moonlight source, master branch)
- Moonlight PC source: settings screen (SettingsView.qml) (Moonlight source, master branch)
- Moonlight PC source: default bitrate calculation (streamingpreferences.cpp) (Moonlight source, master branch)
- Moonlight for Android source: settings screen (preferences.xml) (Moonlight source, master branch)
- Moonlight for Android source: setting defaults (PreferenceConfiguration.java) (Moonlight source, master branch)
- Moonlight for Android source: settings logic (StreamSettings.java) (Moonlight source, master branch)
- Moonlight on Flathub (com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight) (official Flathub listing)
- Steam Deck tech specs (official Valve specs)
- Moonlight wiki: Setup Guide (official Moonlight docs)