Pros of Sunshine

• Cross-platform support for Windows, Linux, and macOS
• Open-source and self-hosted solution for game streaming
• Customizable streaming settings and advanced features

Cons of Sunshine

• Requires more setup and configuration compared to Moonlight iOS
• May have less optimized performance on iOS devices
• Smaller community and potentially slower development cycle

Code Comparison

Sunshine (C++):

void Stream::sendAudioFrame(const int16_t *pcm_data, int sample_count) {
    std::vector<uint8_t> opus_packet(1024);
    opus_int32 opus_length = opus_encode(_audio_encoder, pcm_data, sample_count, opus_packet.data(), opus_packet.size());
    // ... (sending audio data)
}

Moonlight iOS (Objective-C):

- (void)connectionStarted {
    [self.streamManager startAudioRendering];
    [self.streamManager startVideoDecoderWithVideoFormat:self.streamConfig.videoFormat];
    // ... (starting stream components)
}

The code snippets show different approaches to handling audio streaming and connection initialization, reflecting the distinct architectures and platforms of the two projects.

Pros of moonlight-embedded

• Supports a wider range of platforms, including Linux, Raspberry Pi, and embedded devices
• More customizable and flexible for advanced users
• Potentially lower resource usage on supported devices

Cons of moonlight-embedded

• Requires more technical knowledge to set up and configure
• May have a less polished user interface compared to the iOS version
• Limited to devices that can run the embedded software

Code Comparison

moonlight-embedded:

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
  CONFIGURATION config;
  config_parse(argc, argv, &config);
  connection_init(&config);
  // ... (additional setup and main loop)
}

moonlight-ios:

@main
struct MoonlightApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
        }
    }
}

The moonlight-embedded project uses C for low-level system access and performance, while moonlight-ios uses Swift for iOS app development. The embedded version requires manual configuration and initialization, whereas the iOS app leverages the SwiftUI framework for a more streamlined setup.

Both projects aim to provide game streaming capabilities using the Moonlight protocol, but they target different platforms and use cases. moonlight-embedded is better suited for DIY and embedded projects, while moonlight-ios offers a more user-friendly experience for iOS devices.

Pros of moonlight-qt

• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux) vs. iOS-only
• More customizable settings and advanced features
• Supports keyboard and mouse input for a wider range of games

Cons of moonlight-qt

• Requires more setup and configuration compared to the iOS app
• May have higher system requirements for optimal performance
• Less optimized for touch input compared to the iOS version

Code Comparison

moonlight-qt:

void StreamingPreferences::retranslate()
{
    m_Ui.bitrateLabel->setText(tr("Video bitrate:"));
    m_Ui.framerateLabel->setText(tr("Preferred FPS:"));
    m_Ui.resolutionLabel->setText(tr("Resolution:"));
}

moonlight-ios:

func updateStreamConfig() {
    streamConfig.bitRate = Int32(bitRate)
    streamConfig.frameRate = Int32(frameRate)
    streamConfig.width = Int32(resolution.width)
    streamConfig.height = Int32(resolution.height)
}

The code snippets show differences in language (C++ vs. Swift) and approach to handling stream configuration. moonlight-qt focuses on UI translation, while moonlight-ios directly updates stream settings.

Pros of moonlight-embedded

• Supports a wider range of platforms, including Linux, Raspberry Pi, and embedded devices
• More customizable and flexible for advanced users
• Potentially lower resource usage on supported devices

Cons of moonlight-embedded

• Requires more technical knowledge to set up and configure
• May have a less polished user interface compared to the iOS version
• Limited to devices that can run the embedded software

Code Comparison

moonlight-embedded:

int main(int argc, char* argv[]) {
  CONFIGURATION config;
  config_parse(argc, argv, &config);
  connection_init(&config);
  // ... (additional setup and main loop)
}

moonlight-ios:

@main
struct MoonlightApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
        }
    }
}

The moonlight-embedded project uses C for low-level system access and performance, while moonlight-ios uses Swift for iOS app development. The embedded version requires manual configuration and initialization, whereas the iOS app leverages the SwiftUI framework for a more streamlined setup.

Both projects aim to provide game streaming capabilities using the Moonlight protocol, but they target different platforms and use cases. moonlight-embedded is better suited for DIY and embedded projects, while moonlight-ios offers a more user-friendly experience for iOS devices.