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Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working/lagging: How to Fix

In this guide, we will show you various methods to fix the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues. While there are quite a few Android-based TVs available out there, it’s the one from Nvidia that has managed to capture a major share of the market. Moreover, if your PC comes with GeForce GTX as its underlying GPU, then you could easily stream all your preferred games over to your TV, with 60 FPS gaming at up to 4K HDR.

Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working

This when coupled with the open-source implementation of NVIDIA’s GameStream protocol, aka Moonlight, and you get one of the best technology at hand to stream and play your games remotely from your PC over to the TV. However, as of now, both these features aren’t working along the expected lines. Various users have voiced their concern that both the GameStream and Moonlight are currently lagging, disconnecting, and facing stuttering issues. Apart from that, there are also frame drops, hitching, controller lags, bad latency, and disconnection issues.

Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working

Moreover, some users are also getting the following error message “Connection lost to [PC name] server. Error code: 80040010” or Error Code 800b000b. And when this error appears, the resolution drops to 720p as well. All in all, both these features are currently going through a rough patch. With that said, there do exist a few workarounds that should help you fix the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream / Moonlight not working or lagging issues. So without any further ado, let’s check them out.

How to Fix Nvidia Shield TV GameStream / Moonlight not working/lagging

Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working

Do note that there’s no universal fix as such. You will have to try out each of the below-mentioned workarounds and see which one works best in your favor. So with that in mind, let’s get started.

FIX 1: Try Network Tweaks

First and f0remost, make sure that your internet is working well and good. Along the same lines, it is recommended to be on a wired connection (ethernet) rather than on a wireless network (WiFi). However, if that is not possible, then make sure to connect to a 5Ghz network as opposed to 2.4Ghz. So try out these tweaks and then check if it fixes the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 2: Restart TV and PC

Next up, it is recommended to restart your PC as well as the Shield TV. Doing so will refresh all its underlying processes and subsequently, a fresh connection will be established. This in turn might rectify the underlying issue as well. So reboot both your device and check then out the results.

Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working

FIX 3: Re-Establish GameStream Connection

Your next course of action should be to re-establish a new GameStream connection between your TV and PC. In this regard, you may refer to the below instructions to try it out:

  1. To begin with, launch the latest GeForce display driver on your PC.
  2. This will also install the GeForce Experience software.
  3. Once done, launch GeForce Experience and log in with your Nvidia account.
  4. Then go to the Settings > SHIELD page and enable the toggle next to “GameStream”.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  5. If you have enabled it before, then disable and re-enable it to refresh its settings.
  6. Once done, check if it fixes the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 4: Update GPU Drivers

Using old or outdated GPU drivers could result in quite a few issues, and it could well be the reason behind the bug that we are currently dealing with. Therefore, it is recommended to update these drivers to the latest version, which could be done as follows:

  1. Press Windows+X shortcut keys and select Device Manager from the menu.
  2. Then expand Display Adapter, right-click on your GPU, and select Update Drivers.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  3. After that, choose Search automatically for drivers.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  4. Windows will now search for the latest drivers and would subsequently download and install them.
  5. Once done, restart your PC and then check if it fixes Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 5: Disable GPU Scheduling

GPU Scheduling allows Windows to offload most graphics-intensive tasks to a dedicated GPU-based scheduling processor (as well as to the VRAM), thereby giving a much-deserved rest to the CPU. On paper, it should speed up the performance in heavy games and processing tasks. However, its benefit is still debatable by the tech community. On the flip side though, disabling it has infact resolved some streaming-related issues across various platforms. So let’s turn off this feature for the time being and check out the results.

  1. Bring up the Settings menu via Windows+I shortcut keys.
  2. Then select System from the left menu bar and go to Display.
  3. After that, click on Graphics > Change Default Graphics Settings.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  4. Now disable the toggle next to “Hardware-Accelerated GPU Scheduling”.
  5. Verify if it fixes the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 6: Disable G-Sync

To get a smoother gaming experience, users generally prefer to keep the G-Sync feature enabled on their PC. It does so by synchronizing display refresh rates to the GPU. However, this synchronization could also result in a roadblock during the streaming process. So consider disabling it for the time being, using the below-given instructions:

  1. Launch Nvidia Control Panel from the Start Menu.
  2. Then expand Display from the left menu bar and select Set up G-Sync.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  3. Now uncheck Enable G-Sync and then restart your PC.
  4. Check if it fixes Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 7: Set PC/TV/Moonlight Refresh Rate to 60Hz

Make sure to set the following settings to 60Hz:

  • Windows settings refresh rate: Go to Settings > System > Display > Advanced Display > Choose a Refresh Rate > 60Hz
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  • Shield TV settings refresh rate: Match the Display Refresh Rate with the content Frame Rate: Go to Settings > Remotes & Accessories > Customize Settings button and select “Match frame rate (beta)”.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  • Moonlight settings stream FPS
  • In-game refresh rate (if applicable): From the game’s display settings menu.

FIX 8: Switch to Moonlight from GameStream

While it is always debatable as to which out of the two is more efficient for streaming services, you should be inclined towards Moonlight for one specific reason- its “Never drop frames” feature (which is absent in GameStream). Enabling it is known to fix most of the stuttering/hitching issues.

So if you are still on GameStream, then make a switch to Moonlight. After that, head over to its Settings menu and enable the Never drop frames feature. See if it does any good when it comes to fixing the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream / Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 9: Disable V-Sync

Vertical Synchronization, aka VSync, helps in creating and maintaining stability by synchronizing the image frame rate of your game with the refresh rate of your PC’s display. However, when it comes to streaming, enabling it tends to add a lot of latency or input lag over some games. Therefore, you should consider disabling this feature on your PC as well as GameStream. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. Launch Nvidia Control Panel from the Start Menu.
  2. Then expand 3-D Settings from the left menu bar and select Manage 3-D Settings.
  3. After that, go to the Global tab from the right-hand side and scroll to Vertical Sync.
  4. Then select Off from the drop-down menu.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  5. After that, go to your TV’s GameStream Settings menu and uncheck V-Sync.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  6. Check if it fixes Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 10: Run in Borderless Window Mode

As is evident from its name, Borderless Window Mode presents the rendered image in a maximized window, but without any borders. As a result, the content will cover the entire display and would give you a more immersive gaming experience.

  1. So head over to your TV’s GameStream Settings menu
  2. Then go to the Display Mode section.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  3. Now select Borderless Windowed from the drop-down list.
  4. Check if it fixes the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

FIX 11: Downgrade GPU Drivers

In some instances, Nvidia might roll out a buggy update which in turn could end up breaking some of its functionalities. While the chances of that happening are rare, but it cannot be negated (well, the issue that we are currently facing as of February 2022 is due to a buggy update itself). So in those cases, you should consider rolling back the drivers to an earlier version. Here’s how it could be done:

  1. Right-click on the Windows icon present at Taskbar and select Device Manager
  2. Then expand Display Adapter, right-click on your GPU, and select Properties.
  3. After that, go to its Drivers tab and click on Roll Back Drivers.
    Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working
  4. Now proceed with the on-screen instructions to complete the downgrade.
  5. Once done, restart your PC and check if it fixes the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues.

If the Rollback button is greyed out, then you will have to manually perform the rollback. For that, you may refer to this guide: How to Downgrade/Rollback Nvidia GPU Drivers on Windows 11.

FIX 12: Downgrade Nvidia Shield TV

If none of the aforementioned methods spelled out success, then you will have to take the nuclear route of downgrading your TV from Android 11 to 9 (10 wasn’t released for the TV). However, doing so requires an unlocked bootloader, which will factory reset your TV and could also nullify its warranty. So if that’s well and good, then you may refer to our detailed guide on How to Downgrade Nvidia Shield TV to Android 9.

Nvidia Shield TV GameStream Moonlight not working

So with this, we round off the guide on how you could fix the Nvidia Shield TV GameStream/Moonlight not working or lagging issues. We have shared twelve different methods for the same. Do let us know in the comments section which one spelled out success for you. Likewise, all your queries are welcomed in the comments below.


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