Application Examples

Configuration examples for popular games, launchers, and applications

Not all applications behave the same way. This guide provides configuration examples to help you add games and applications to Sunshine.

Throughout these examples, fields not shown are left blank. You can enhance your experience by adding an image via the Image field or logging output via the Output field.

When a working directory is not specified, it defaults to the folder where the target application resides. Specify a working directory explicitly if the application requires specific paths for assets or configuration files.

Common Launchers

Desktop

The most basic configuration streams your entire desktop:

Field	Value
Application Name	Desktop
Image	desktop.png

Steam Big Picture

Steam is launched as a detached command because Steam’s launcher process self-updates and the original process terminates.

Windows

Field	Value
Application Name	Steam Big Picture
Command Preparations → Undo	steam://close/bigpicture
Detached Commands	steam://open/bigpicture
Image	steam.png

Linux

Field	Value
Application Name	Steam Big Picture
Command Preparations → Undo	setsid steam steam://close/bigpicture
Detached Commands	setsid steam steam://open/bigpicture
Image	steam.png

macOS

Field	Value
Application Name	Steam Big Picture
Command Preparations → Undo	open steam://close/bigpicture
Detached Commands	open steam://open/bigpicture
Image	steam.png

On Linux and FreeBSD, use setsid to properly detach the Steam process from Sunshine’s control.

Steam Games

Steam games can be launched using URI schemes or direct binary execution.

Using Steam URI (Recommended)

This method is the most consistent across platforms and games:

Windows

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Detached Commands	steam://rungameid/464920

Linux

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Detached Commands	setsid steam steam://rungameid/464920

macOS

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Detached Commands	open steam://rungameid/464920

Find a game’s Steam App ID by visiting its store page. The ID is in the URL: https://store.steampowered.com/app/464920/

Using Game Binary with Working Directory

Windows

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	MarsSteam.exe
Working Directory	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Surviving Mars

Linux

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	MarsSteam
Working Directory	~/.steam/steam/SteamApps/common/Surviving Mars

Using Game Binary with Full Path

Windows

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Surviving Mars\MarsSteam.exe

Linux

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	~/.steam/steam/SteamApps/common/Surviving Mars/MarsSteam

Epic Games Store

Using Epic URI (Recommended)

The URI method provides the most consistent behavior:

Windows

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	com.epicgames.launcher://apps/d759128018124dcabb1fbee9bb28e178%3A20729b9176c241f0b617c5723e70ec2d%3AOvenbird?action=launch&silent=true

Find the Epic Games URI by checking the game’s shortcut properties or looking in the Epic Games Launcher’s web requests.

Using Game Binary

With Working Directory

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	MarsEpic.exe
Working Directory	C:\Program Files\Epic Games\SurvivingMars

With Full Path

Field	Value
Application Name	Surviving Mars
Command	C:\Program Files\Epic Games\SurvivingMars\MarsEpic.exe

Prep Commands

Prep commands execute before starting an application and can clean up when the application closes. Common uses include changing resolution, refresh rate, or launching supporting processes.

Resolution and Refresh Rate Changes

Dynamically adjust display settings based on Moonlight client capabilities using environment variables:

• ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH} - Client’s requested width
• ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT} - Client’s requested height
• ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS} - Client’s requested frame rate

Linux (X11)

Prep Step	Command
Do	sh -c "xrandr --output HDMI-1 --mode ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT} --rate ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS}"
Undo	xrandr --output HDMI-1 --mode 3840x2160 --rate 120

Replace HDMI-1 with your display output name. Find it by running xrandr without arguments.

Linux (Wayland/wlroots)

For wlroots-based compositors (Hyprland, Sway, etc.):

Prep Step	Command
Do	sh -c "wlr-xrandr --output HDMI-1 --mode ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT}@${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS}Hz"
Undo	wlr-xrandr --output HDMI-1 --mode 3840x2160@120Hz

wlr-xrandr only works with wlroots-based compositors. GNOME and KDE require different tools.

Linux (KDE Plasma)

Works on both Wayland and X11:

Prep Step	Command
Do	sh -c "kscreen-doctor output.HDMI-A-1.mode.${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT}@${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS}"
Undo	kscreen-doctor output.HDMI-A-1.mode.3840x2160@120

Find your display name and supported modes by running kscreen-doctor -o.

Display names differ between X11 and Wayland. A monitor might be HDMI-A-0 on X11 but HDMI-A-1 on Wayland.

Linux (GNOME on Wayland)

Requires displayconfig-mutter:

Prep Step	Command
Do	sh -c "displayconfig-mutter set --connector HDMI-1 --resolution ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT} --refresh-rate ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS} --hdr ${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HDR}"
Undo	displayconfig-mutter set --connector HDMI-1 --resolution 3840x2160 --refresh-rate 120 --hdr false

HDR support requires GNOME 48+. Check support with displayconfig-mutter list. Remove the --hdr flag if your display doesn’t support it.

Linux (NVIDIA GPUs)

For NVIDIA proprietary drivers:

Prep Step	Command
Do	sh -c "nvidia-settings -a CurrentMetaMode=\"HDMI-1: nvidia-auto-select { ViewPortIn=${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT}, ViewPortOut=${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT}+0+0 }\""
Undo	nvidia-settings -a CurrentMetaMode="HDMI-1: nvidia-auto-select { ViewPortIn=3840x2160, ViewPortOut=3840x2160+0+0 }"

macOS

Requires displayplacer:

Prep Step	Command
Do	sh -c "displayplacer \"id:<screenId> res:${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH}x${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT} hz:${SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS} scaling:on origin:(0,0) degree:0\""
Undo	displayplacer "id:<screenId> res:3840x2160 hz:120 scaling:on origin:(0,0) degree:0"

Replace <screenId> with your display’s ID. Run displayplacer list to find it.

Windows

Sunshine has built-in support for resolution changes on Windows. For third-party tools, you can use QRes:

Prep Step	Command
Do	cmd /C "C:\Tools\qres.exe /x:%SUNSHINE_CLIENT_WIDTH% /y:%SUNSHINE_CLIENT_HEIGHT% /r:%SUNSHINE_CLIENT_FPS%"
Undo	C:\Tools\qres.exe /x:3840 /y:2160 /r:120

QRes must be downloaded separately.

Platform-Specific Considerations

Linux (Flatpak)

Flatpak packages run in a sandboxed environment. All commands must be prefixed with flatpak-spawn --host.

Example:

flatpak-spawn --host xrandr --output HDMI-1 --mode 1920x1080

Windows (Elevated Commands)

If Sunshine is installed as a service (default), you can launch applications with administrative privileges without UAC prompts:

{
  "name": "Game With AntiCheat",
  "cmd": "C:\\Games\\game.exe",
  "elevated": true,
  "prep-cmd": [
    {
      "do": "powershell.exe -command \"Start-Service GameService\"",
      "undo": "powershell.exe -command \"Stop-Service GameService\"",
      "elevated": false
    }
  ]
}

The elevated option can be set independently for the main command and each prep command.