> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Windows Installation

> Install Sunshine on Windows using the installer or portable version

Sunshine provides multiple installation options for Windows. The installer is recommended for most users.

<Note>
  Sunshine supports ARM64 on Windows; however, this should be considered experimental. This version does not properly support GPU scheduling and any hardware acceleration.
</Note>

## Installation Methods

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Installer (Recommended)">
    <Warning>
      The msi installer is preferred moving forward. Before using a different type of installer, you should manually uninstall the previous installation.
    </Warning>

    ### Download and Install

    Download and install based on your architecture:

    | Architecture          | Installer                                                                                                                                    |
    | --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | AMD64/x64 (Intel/AMD) | [Sunshine-Windows-AMD64-installer.msi](https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Sunshine-Windows-AMD64-installer.msi) |
    | AMD64/x64 (Intel/AMD) | [Sunshine-Windows-AMD64-installer.exe](https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Sunshine-Windows-AMD64-installer.exe) |
    | ARM64                 | [Sunshine-Windows-ARM64-installer.msi](https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Sunshine-Windows-ARM64-installer.msi) |
    | ARM64                 | [Sunshine-Windows-ARM64-installer.exe](https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Sunshine-Windows-ARM64-installer.exe) |

    <Warning>
      You should carefully select or unselect the options you want to install. Do not blindly install or enable features.
    </Warning>

    ### Installer Logs

    Installer logs can be found in the following locations:

    | File | Log Paths                                                                               |
    | ---- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | .exe | `%PROGRAMFILES%/Sunshine/install.log` (AMD64 only)<br />`%TEMP%/Sunshine/logs/install/` |
    | .msi | `%TEMP%/Sunshine/logs/install/`                                                         |

    ### Uninstall

    To uninstall, find Sunshine in the list [here](ms-settings:installed-apps) and select "Uninstall" from the overflow menu. Different versions of Windows may provide slightly different steps for uninstall.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Winget">
    You can install Sunshine using Windows Package Manager (winget):

    ```powershell theme={null}
    winget install LizardByte.Sunshine
    ```

    ### Uninstall

    ```powershell theme={null}
    winget uninstall LizardByte.Sunshine
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Portable Version">
    <Warning>
      By using this package instead of the installer, performance will be reduced. This package is not recommended for most users. No support will be provided!
    </Warning>

    ### Download and Extract

    Download and extract based on your architecture:

    | Architecture          | Package                                                                                                                                    |
    | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
    | AMD64/x64 (Intel/AMD) | [Sunshine-Windows-AMD64-portable.zip](https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Sunshine-Windows-AMD64-portable.zip) |
    | ARM64                 | [Sunshine-Windows-ARM64-portable.zip](https://github.com/LizardByte/Sunshine/releases/latest/download/Sunshine-Windows-ARM64-portable.zip) |

    ### Setup

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Open command prompt as administrator">
        Right-click on Command Prompt and select "Run as administrator".
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install firewall rules">
        ```bash theme={null}
        cd /d {path to extracted directory}
        scripts/add-firewall-rule.bat
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Install Windows service (optional)">
        If you want Sunshine to run as a service:

        ```bash theme={null}
        cd /d {path to extracted directory}
        scripts/install-service.bat
        scripts/autostart-service.bat
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    ### Uninstall

    <Steps>
      <Step title="Remove firewall rules">
        ```bash theme={null}
        cd /d {path to extracted directory}
        scripts/delete-firewall-rule.bat
        ```
      </Step>

      <Step title="Uninstall Windows service">
        If you installed the service:

        ```bash theme={null}
        cd /d {path to extracted directory}
        scripts/uninstall-service.bat
        ```
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Service vs Portable Mode

### Service Mode (Default)

* Runs automatically in the background
* Starts on system boot
* Runs with elevated privileges
* Recommended for most users
* Enables all features including virtual gamepad support

### Portable Mode

* Manual startup required
* Runs with current user privileges
* Limited feature set
* Reduced performance
* Not recommended for typical use

## Post-Installation Setup

### ViGEmBus Installation

In order for virtual gamepads to work, you must install ViGEmBus. You can do this from the troubleshooting tab in the web UI, as long as you are running Sunshine as a service or as an administrator. After installation, it is recommended to restart your computer.

<Note>
  Virtual gamepad support requires ViGEmBus. This can be installed directly from the Sunshine web UI troubleshooting tab.
</Note>

## Additional Considerations

### Desktop Duplication API

On Windows, Sunshine uses the Desktop Duplication API which only supports capturing from the GPU used for display. If you want to capture and encode on the eGPU, connect a display or HDMI dummy display dongle to it and run the games on that display.

### HDR Support

HDR streaming is supported for Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA GPUs that support encoding HEVC Main 10 or AV1 10-bit profiles.

<Tip>
  We recommend calibrating the display by streaming the Windows HDR Calibration app to your client device and saving an HDR calibration profile to use while streaming.
</Tip>

<Note>
  Older games that use NVIDIA-specific NVAPI HDR rather than native Windows HDR support may not display properly in HDR.
</Note>