This page describes the hardware and software you, your service, and your end users need to use Rainway effectively.

Streaming media

To stream media, you'll need a desktop computer or server running Windows 10 or later that's connected to the Internet. You can then stream Windows applications using the Rainway Native SDK by writing some code in C#, Node.js or C++.

Windows Server 2019 or later is also supported. Make sure to install and enable your GPU drivers. You'll need a virtual audio device for audio, and this Xbox 360 gamepad driver.

You may need to install the Media Feature Pack on “N” editions of Windows 10. See this page for more information.

Rainway needs a GPU with DirectX 11 support to encode video. Your GPU may limit the number of concurrent encode sessions; for example, see this page for a summary of NVIDIA encode session limitations. You can certainly stream the Windows desktop, or stream up to about 3 BYOFB sessions, but perhaps not more than that.

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A good network connection is key to a solid experience. Make sure the server isn't bogged down with other network activity, and is connected to the router over Ethernet rather than Wi-Fi/WLAN.

Consuming streams

To consume streams using the Web SDK, you only need a web browser and an Internet connection.

Supported browsers on desktops or laptops include Chrome, Edge, and Safari. On mobile, Chrome is supported on Android and Safari and Chrome are supported on iOS and iPad OS. There is specific support for touch screens.

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In Safari for iOS, video is decoded in the browser rather than using the device's hardware. This may perform poorly on older devices, but has been tested to work smoothly on at least the iPhone XR and up.

Network requirements

Rainway uses WebSockets, WebRTC, and mDNS. Most devices support these technologies fine, but you may just need to adjust your firewall or port settings. See Connectivity for more instructions.