What hardware and connection you need to run Loudplay smoothly. The service streams a real Windows PC to your device, so the client side is mostly a video decoder and an input sender — most modern devices are capable enough.
Operating systems
| Platform | Minimum version | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | 7 or newer | x64 only |
| macOS | 10.15 (Catalina) or newer | Intel and Apple Silicon both work |
| Android | 7 or newer | Phone, tablet, or Android TV (via APK) |
There is no native iOS app. There is no Linux client. There is no console (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch) client.
The Android app is adaptive and runs on Android TV devices via APK install. The dedicated Android TV listing has been temporarily removed from Google Play because of crash bugs in older builds — install the regular Android APK instead until the TV listing is back.
Internet connection
Cloud gaming is bandwidth-hungry and latency-sensitive. The numbers below are what works in practice:
| Setting | Recommended | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Download speed | 30+ Mbit/s for 720p, 50+ for 1080p, 75+ for 1440p | Stable rate matters more than peak |
| Upload speed | 5+ Mbit/s | Used for input + voice |
| Latency to US East | under 80 ms ideally, 150 ms still playable for casual | Higher = more input lag |
| Connection type | Wired Ethernet > Wi-Fi 6/5 (5 GHz) > Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz often unusable |
A wired connection or 5 GHz Wi-Fi is strongly recommended. Public Wi-Fi, hotel Wi-Fi, and crowded 2.4 GHz networks often introduce stutter that no in-app setting can fix.
If you must use mobile data: 4G/LTE is borderline, 5G is usable. Yota mobile operator is known not to work — its network blocks the streaming protocol.
Hardware on your end
The client device only decodes video and sends keyboard/mouse/gamepad input back. Anything that can play 1080p H.264 video smoothly is enough.
- A 5-year-old laptop with integrated graphics: fine.
- A mid-range Android phone from the last 4–5 years: fine.
- A smart TV with a Chrome browser: not currently supported (no web client at the moment).
GPU on your local device does not need to be powerful. The heavy lifting happens on our server.
Input devices
Keyboard and mouse. Standard, including most gaming mice. Side mouse buttons (back/forward) are not currently passed through to the virtual PC.
Gamepads. Most XInput-compatible gamepads work. The virtual PC sees them all as Xbox controllers, regardless of what they actually are. Multiple gamepads connected at once function as a single controller.
Wheels, flight sticks, and HOTAS systems are not supported — the protocol doesn't pass their inputs through.
On Android. You can connect a Bluetooth or USB gamepad. Connect or reconnect it during an active session — connecting before the session starts can leave the controller mis-detected.
Microphone. Supported on Desktop only — toggle with Alt+R during a session. The Android app does not currently support microphone passthrough.
Webcam, USB devices, VR headsets. Not natively supported. Some users have made specific USB devices work through third-party software running inside the virtual PC, but we don't promise compatibility.
What to do before your first session
- Restart your router if it's been online for weeks. Routers degrade.
- Use Ethernet if you have it. Wi-Fi 5 GHz if you don't.
- Close other bandwidth-heavy apps (downloads, streaming services in the background).
- On Windows, run the Loudplay client as Administrator the first time to avoid permission issues.
- On macOS, allow the client through System Settings → Privacy & Security if Gatekeeper blocks it.
If something doesn't work after this, see "Stream is laggy or blurry — settings to try" or "The app crashes at launch on Windows or macOS".