v6.1.0-vrr17: Smoother recovery after slowdowns and FPS changes (Beta)

VRR17 improves pacing when the GPU briefly falls behind or the streamed frame rate changes. It builds on VRR16's lower-latency queue and helps Windows and Linux return to smooth motion more cleanly after a short disruption.

The goal is steadier recovery without keeping extra delay in the queue all the time. Host capture stalls, network interruptions, and game-driven frame-rate changes can still be visible, but Moonlight should be less likely to continue stuttering after the disruption has passed.

What's New

• Better recovery from brief GPU slowdowns. Moonlight now learns when the GPU needs a little more preparation time and can begin that work earlier without moving the frame's intended presentation time.
• More reliable Vulkan pacing on Linux. Moonlight verifies that GPU work has completed before reusing a decoded frame. If that check times out, the pacing loop recovers instead of letting the delay build across later frames.
• Smoother frame-rate transitions. Timing from the previous desktop, game, or frame rate is no longer allowed to pull new frames toward the wrong cadence. Moonlight adjusts gradually as fresh timing arrives.
• A more protective Smooth preset. Smooth now watches motion quality over a longer period and can keep up to 24 ms of protection when the stream needs it. Low Latency and Balanced Target keep their smaller limits.

How Slowdown Recovery Works

Moonlight now measures how long completed GPU work actually needed. When recent frames show that the GPU needs more time, Moonlight starts preparing later frames a little earlier. This preparation lead is kept separate from the presentation target, so it does not become permanent playback delay.

The check is bounded and can be cancelled when the stream or display changes. A real timeout resets the affected pacing state so one slow frame is less likely to disturb the frames that follow it.

Frame-Rate Changes

When a game, desktop, or stream changes frame rate, the old cadence can briefly disagree with the new one. VRR17 ignores stale timing from the previous cadence and adjusts toward the new timing in small steps. GPU slowdowns on the client are kept out of that adjustment so they do not disturb later presentation targets.

Timing Presets

These are maximum buffer allowances, not delay added all the time. Every preset also respects the shared queue-capacity limit. Stable delivery can let the queue drain toward its minimum. Smooth intentionally trades more potential delay for a tighter and longer-term motion target.

The percentages are controller timing-quality targets weighted by the severity and duration of client-added spacing errors. They are not percentages of perfectly displayed frames, optical measurements, or promises of tear-free output.

Existing users: Confirm that V-Sync and VRR are enabled, select Low Latency, Balanced Target, or Smooth, and reconnect after changing the preset or Reduce judder.

Downloads

Steam Deck Installation

1. Switch to Desktop Mode.

2. Download Moonlight-VRR-6.1.0-vrr17-linux-x86_64.flatpak from the assets below.

3. Open Konsole and change to the download folder:

   cd ~/Downloads

4. For a first installation, run:

   flatpak install --user ./Moonlight-VRR-6.1.0-vrr17-linux-x86_64.flatpak

   To update or replace an earlier VRR beta, run:

   flatpak install --user --reinstall ./Moonlight-VRR-6.1.0-vrr17-linux-x86_64.flatpak

5. Open Steam in Desktop Mode and add Moonlight as a non-Steam game. If an older Moonlight shortcut already exists, remove it and add Moonlight again so Steam selects the user-installed VRR17 Flatpak.

6. Return to Gaming Mode and launch Moonlight.

No sudo, Mesa downgrade, Flatpak mask, or compatibility installer script is required.

Other Linux Distributions

Install Flatpak through your distribution if it is not already available, download the .flatpak asset, then run from the directory containing the download:

flatpak install --user ./Moonlight-VRR-6.1.0-vrr17-linux-x86_64.flatpak

To replace an existing Moonlight VRR build:

flatpak install --user --reinstall ./Moonlight-VRR-6.1.0-vrr17-linux-x86_64.flatpak

Launch it from the desktop application menu or with:

flatpak run com.moonlight_stream.Moonlight

This bundle targets 64-bit x86 Linux and uses the same Flatpak application ID as standard Moonlight. If both a system-wide and user installation exist, your desktop shortcut may need to be recreated so it opens the user installation.

Windows Installation

Installer

1. Close Moonlight completely before installing the update.
2. Download MoonlightSetup-6.1.0-vrr17.exe from the assets below.
3. Run the setup EXE and follow the installer prompts. This installer includes the Visual C++ runtime and replaces stock Moonlight 6.1.0 or an earlier VRR MSI.
4. If Windows warns that the build is from an unknown publisher, confirm that you downloaded it from this release before continuing. This beta build is intentionally unsigned.
5. Launch Moonlight from the Start menu when installation finishes.

Uninstalling the previous beta first is not required. If you previously installed the broken .msi from this release, run this EXE over it.

Portable ZIP

1. Close any running copy of Moonlight.
2. Download MoonlightPortable-x64-6.1.0-vrr17.zip from the assets below.
3. Extract the entire ZIP to a new writable folder. Do not run Moonlight directly from inside the ZIP.
4. Run Moonlight.exe from the extracted folder.

Keep all extracted files together. If replacing an older portable beta, use a fresh folder or replace the complete extracted directory while Moonlight is closed.

AppImage Installation

Download Moonlight-6.1.0-vrr17-x86_64.AppImage, make it executable, and run it:

chmod +x Moonlight-6.1.0-vrr17-x86_64.AppImage
./Moonlight-6.1.0-vrr17-x86_64.AppImage

How to Use VRR

1. Enable V-Sync in Moonlight.
2. Enable VRR.
3. Make sure FreeSync, G-Sync, or Adaptive-Sync is enabled for the display.
4. In Moonlight's frame-rate setting, choose one of the entries marked VRR.
5. Choose Low Latency, Balanced Target, or Smooth under VRR timing. Start with Balanced Target, then adjust to your preference.
6. Select a stream frame rate the host can sustain within the display's VRR range. Full-refresh and lower-rate VRR options are both available.
7. Optionally enable Reduce judder, and reconnect after changing either timing setting.

SHA-256 Checksums

830c144db24a0c16e12d30dbca935557fbb717bb38ca1582ddc03c1ed236cc41  Moonlight-6.1.0-vrr17-x86_64.AppImage
6ca5a6ef0857b276b12de8682d3cd5627bfabbacbff853c681026333645a8e24  Moonlight-VRR-6.1.0-vrr17-linux-x86_64.flatpak
afd68dbb6c4d65d2804806c99dd8643325ac5003d2af180173e9597b7f90c14b  MoonlightPortable-x64-6.1.0-vrr17.zip
ab74f79ecc8dadc13137c78448fe8696a66ef9625a9a56e340bf057f35ac1e6a  MoonlightSetup-6.1.0-vrr17.exe

Beta Notice

This remains a beta. Host or game stalls, network interruptions, decoding delays, GPU contention, and compositor behavior can still cause visible stutter. When reporting a regression, include:

• the Moonlight session log;
• operating system and GPU;
• display model and refresh rate;
• selected stream resolution and FPS;
• selected VRR timing preset;
• whether VRR, HDR, hardware decoding, and Reduce judder were enabled; and
• for Steam Deck, whether the issue occurred in Desktop Mode or Gaming Mode.