Remotely Access Desktop Applications Using Sunshine

This guide explains how to use Sunshine to host a desktop application on one Windows machine and access it remotely from another machine through a web browser.

Sunshine can stream virtually any Windows desktop application and games, including:

VLC Media Player
Visual Studio Code
Telegram
Unreal Engine packaged applications
Google Chrome
Fortnite
PUBG
Any Windows executable (.exe)

In this guide, VLC Media Player is used as the example application.

Architecture

Machine A (Host) – Runs the application.
Machine B (Client) – Connects to and controls the application remotely.

Machine A – Host the Application

Step 1. Download Sunshine Zip

Download the provided Sunshine ZIP package and extract it to your preferred location.

Download from Google Drive

Step 2. Install Sunshine

Double-click “install Sunshine Package.bat” to begin the installation.

Step 3. Complete the Initial Setup

Follow the installation prompts below.

(I) Allow the Batch File to Run

(II) When prompted, click Yes to start Sunshine.

(III) Choose whether Sunshine should automatically start whenever Windows starts.

Select either:

Yes – Start automatically
No – Start manually

(IV) Click OK when prompted that Sunshine shortcuts have been added to your Desktop and Start Menu.

(V) Click Yes to open the Sunshine configuration page.

Figure 7. Open the Sunshine web interface

(VI) A new browser tab will open automatically displaying the Sunshine configuration dashboard.

Step 4. Add an Application

From the Sunshine dashboard, click the Add New button.

Step 5. Enter the Application Name

Provide a friendly name for the application.

Example:

VLC

Step 6. Select the Application Executable in the Command Field

Browse to the executable (.exe) file of the application you want to stream.

Important: Make sure you enter the executable path in the Command field only. Do not enter the path in any other field, as this may prevent the application from launching correctly.

Example:

C:\Program Files\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe

Figure 13. Executable successfully added

You can also add applications such as:

Visual Studio Code
Telegram
Unreal Engine packaged applications
Chrome
Any Windows executable (.exe)

Step 7. Save the Configuration

Click Save to add the application.

Figure 14. Save the application configuration

Copy the generated Sunshine URL and share it with the user who will connect from Machine B.

Figure 15. Copy and share the access URL

Machine B – Access the Application in the Browser

Step 1. Open the Shared URL

Open the Sunshine URL shared from Machine A using any supported web browser.

Wait a few moments while the connection is established.

Step 2. Control the Application

Once connected, the application will automatically launch on Machine A and will appear inside your browser on Machine B.

Although you interact with the application from Machine B, it is actually running on Machine A. Any mouse and keyboard input from Machine B is transmitted to Machine A in real time.

Figure 18. Control the application remotely

For example:

VLC runs on Machine A.
All mouse and keyboard input is sent from Machine B.
Changes are reflected immediately on Machine A.

Additional Features

You can access additional streaming controls by clicking the arrow icon on the left side of the streaming interface.

After clicking the arrow icon, the available options will be displayed.

Send KeyCode

Use the Send KeyCode option to send keyboard key codes to the application running on Machine A.

Lock Mouse

Select Lock Mouse to switch to Locked Mouse mode. This allows the mouse to remain captured within the streaming session.

To exit Locked Mouse mode, press Esc on your keyboard.

Keyboard

Select Keyboard to display an on-screen keyboard. This option is particularly useful when accessing the application from a mobile device.

Fullscreen

Click Fullscreen to expand the streaming session to fullscreen mode. To exit fullscreen mode, press and hold the Esc key.

Stats

Select Stats to display streaming and connection statistics.

Mouse Mode

Select Mouse Mode to choose your preferred mouse control mode.

Touch Mode

Select Touch Mode to choose your preferred touch interaction mode. This feature is for touch devices.

Important Notes

Do not open the Sunshine URL on the host machine (Machine A).
- Machine A should only host the application.
- Machine B should connect using the shared URL.
Avoid minimizing or closing the application while it is being accessed remotely.
Only one user should actively control the application at a time to prevent conflicting inputs.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
Cannot access the Sunshine URL	Sunshine service is not running	Restart Sunshine and verify it is running.
Application does not appear	Incorrect executable path Executable path entered in the wrong field	Verify that the selected `.exe` path is correct. Make sure you enter the executable path in the Command field only. Do not enter the path in any other field, as this may prevent the application from launching correctly.
Black screen after connecting	Application is minimized or not active	Bring the application to the foreground on Machine A.
Connection fails	Firewall or network restrictions	Ensure both machines can communicate over the required ports and Sunshine is allowed through the firewall.
High latency or poor responsiveness	Slow or unstable network connection	Use a faster and more stable network connection whenever possible.

Final Thoughts

Once Sunshine is configured, you can remotely access and control almost any Windows desktop application directly from a web browser without installing the application on the client machine.

This setup is ideal for remotely accessing development tools, media players, Unreal Engine applications, productivity software, and other desktop applications from another computer.