What’s the easiest way to mirror my gaming PC to a living-room TV?

Steam’s in-home streaming can also work if you connect a Steam Link-compatible device, laptop, or another computer to the TV. Sunshine and Moonlight tend to offer more flexibility, but either approach requires a device at the TV to receive the stream. A Chromecast is mainly intended for casting supported content and usually isn’t the ideal way to mirror a gaming desktop with low latency.

If you can run a cable, a direct HDMI connection is usually the simplest and most reliable option. For longer distances, use a certified active-optical HDMI cable rather than an ordinary copper cable. HDMI-over-Cat5e or Cat6 kits are another option if network cable is already installed, though you’ll need a transmitter and receiver and should check their supported resolution, refresh rate, and audio formats.

For a wireless or network-based solution, Sunshine on the gaming PC paired with Moonlight on a compatible device connected to the TV is probably the best fit. It has much less delay than streaming through a public service and works over wired Ethernet, so the gaming PC itself does not need Wi-Fi. The main drawback is that Moonlight is designed for remote interaction, so it may not have a true view-only mode; you would need a small client device, laptop, or streaming box at the TV.

Wireless HDMI kits are worth considering if running a cable is impossible. They send the display directly to a receiver beside the TV, so they don’t depend on Wi-Fi or the home network. They can be more expensive, and range, line-of-sight, resolution, and refresh-rate limits vary, so check those specifications carefully before buying.