Remio's Windows host uses C++/WinRT with direct DXGI capture and Windows's hardware encoder pipeline (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMF on AMD, Intel Quick Sync on Intel). The Mac and iPad clients decode with VideoToolbox. End to end you get hardware encode on the PC and hardware decode on the Apple device — zero CPU overhead for the actual streaming.
Overview
You will install Remio Host on the Windows PC (one EXE installer), accept Windows Defender's one-time firewall prompt, install Remio on the Mac or iPad, and pair the two with a QR code or a Device ID and PIN. For gaming, you will spend an extra 30 seconds in the client's quality menu setting frame rate and resolution.
Before you start
- Windows PC (host): Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11. Home edition works — you do not need Pro. x64 architecture (Arm64 PCs are not supported).
- GPU on host: any GPU with a hardware encoder. NVIDIA Maxwell (GTX 900) or newer, AMD GCN 4 (RX 400) or newer, Intel HD Graphics 4000 or newer.
- Mac client: macOS 15 Sequoia or later, Apple Silicon preferred.
- iPad client: iPadOS 18 or later, any iPad with A12 Bionic or newer.
- Network: shared 5 GHz Wi-Fi keeps latency to about 8 ms of processing on LAN; wired Ethernet is even tighter. 2.4 GHz works but adds noticeably more.
- Disk: ~150 MB for the Windows host installer including the virtual display driver.
01 · Install Remio Host on Windows
Download Remio-Host-Setup.exe from remio.net/download. Right-click the file and choose Run as administrator, or double-click and accept the UAC prompt. Admin is needed for two reasons: installing Remio Host to Program Files, and installing the virtual display driver that lets the host run headless or add a second display.
The installer asks once whether to Start Remio Host at login. For a dedicated streaming box, yes. For a desktop PC you sometimes lock up to game on locally, leave it off and start manually.
After install, Remio Host shows up in the system tray (bottom right). Right-click the tray icon for the pairing PIN, settings, and quit.
Click More info → Run anyway. SmartScreen shows this until an installer has enough downloads behind it.
Chrome or Edge may say the file “isn’t commonly downloaded” and stop there. Open your downloads (Ctrl+J) and choose Keep (in Edge: Keep → Show more → Keep anyway). A new installer gets this until enough people have downloaded it.
02 · Accept the Windows Defender Firewall prompt
On first run, Windows Defender shows the standard firewall prompt: Allow Remio Host to communicate on these networks. You will see two checkboxes:
- Private networks — tick this. This covers your home Wi-Fi.
- Public networks — tick this only if you ever plan to stream from a hotspot or untrusted Wi-Fi. Many people leave it off.
Click Allow access. Remio Host now accepts incoming connections on the ports it needs. If you missed the prompt (clicked away too fast), open Windows Security → Firewall & network protection → Allow an app through firewall, find Remio Host, and tick the boxes manually.
For most home networks, this is all the firewall config you ever need. Remio connects outbound from both ends and finds the direct path on its own; the outgoing connection from the Mac client establishes the path back.
03 · Install Remio on the Mac or iPad
On the Mac, open the Mac App Store and search Remio, or follow the Mac link on remio.net/download, which opens the same App Store page. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs; install is one click.
On the iPad, open the App Store and search Remio. Tap Get. The iPad version is a universal iOS/iPadOS binary; the same install works on iPhone if you want a smaller pocket controller.
On Windows-to-Windows scenarios, download Remio-Client-Setup.exe from remio.net/download. Same low-latency native renderer as the host.
On first launch the iPad shows a one-time Local Network permission — tap Allow. The Mac does not need any permissions to act as a client.
04 · Pair Windows host with Mac or iPad client
Right-click the Remio Host system tray icon on the PC and choose Show Window. Its Connect page shows a QR code, the Device ID and a PIN.
On the Mac, click the + card (Add new computer) in Remio, click Enter code, and type the Device ID and PIN. On the iPad, tap the + card (Add new computer) and either tap Enter code and type the Device ID and PIN, or tap Scan QR and scan the QR code with the camera.
Pairing is instant. The Mac/iPad and the Windows PC establish a peer-to-peer encrypted channel over UDP; the cross-platform handshake is identical to the all-Apple flow. No Microsoft account, no Apple ID, no cloud middleman.
# Cross-platform pairing
windows host → shows a QR code, Device ID and PIN, waits on UDP
mac/ipad → scans or types them, swaps connection details
both → try every route · the best LAN path wins
session → end-to-end encrypted, ciphertext only05 · Tune for 4K at 120 fps gaming
Click the host name in the client to connect. The session opens at the host's primary display resolution. For gaming, open the client's Quality menu (gear icon in the toolbar) and set:
- Frame rate — 120 fps. The Mac client decodes 120 fps on any Apple Silicon Mac; the iPad client too.
- Resolution — match your gaming target: 1080p for lowest latency, 1440p balanced, 4K for visual fidelity (needs RTX 4060 / RX 7600 or better for sustained 120 fps + encode).
- Codec — hardware H.265 end to end, with H.264 as the automatic fallback on older GPUs. Remio always picks the best option available; there's nothing to switch manually.
Remio Host auto-detects NVENC, AMF, and Intel QSV at startup and picks the fastest encoder available. You do not need to choose manually. The active codec is shown in the client's session HUD.
For controller-based games, pair your Xbox or PlayStation controller via Bluetooth to the Mac or iPad. The Windows PC sees it as a real Xbox 360 or DualShock 4 controller, and the game's rumble comes back to your hands.
Troubleshooting Windows-to-Mac sessions
- Mac client cannot find Windows PC — confirm Windows Defender Firewall has Remio Host allowed for the network category you are on (Private vs Public). Also check no third-party firewall (Bitdefender, Norton) is blocking inbound UDP.
- SmartScreen blocks the EXE — re-download from remio.net/download. If you still see a SmartScreen warning, click More info → Run anyway.
- Black screen in the Mac client — Remio Host makes its own display for the session, so a missing monitor isn't the cause. Look at the host: if it says Remio cannot capture this PC's screen, the display driver turned Remio away, and updating the graphics driver is the usual fix.
- Choppy 4K stream — your GPU encoder is saturated. Drop to 1440p, or close other GPU-bound apps (OBS, video editor, browser with hardware accel).
- Game shows correctly but controller does not work — confirm the controller is paired to the Mac/iPad, not the Windows PC. Remio forwards client-side controllers; a controller attached directly to the host is invisible to the client.
- Audio missing from Windows side — make sure System audio is turned on in the Remio client on your Mac or iPad, then open Windows Sound settings and confirm the PC is playing through its default playback device — Remio streams what the PC plays.
Windows-to-Mac questions
Does Remio need a firewall exception on Windows?
Yes, but Windows Defender prompts for it automatically on first run. Tick both Private and Public networks (or just Private if you only stream from home) and click Allow access. The installer never modifies firewall rules silently — every change is consented.
Do I need Windows 11 Pro or does Home work?
Windows 11 Home works perfectly. Remio does not depend on the Remote Desktop feature that Microsoft restricts to Pro and Enterprise. Windows 10 22H2 also works. There is no upgrade required, no group policy edit, no licensing change.
Does Remio use my GPU's hardware encoder?
Yes. Remio Host auto-detects NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, and Intel Quick Sync, then picks the fastest one available, always streaming hardware H.265 end to end.
Why does my mouse cursor feel laggy?
Two likely causes. First, the session may be running through a relay instead of a direct connection — open the connection info in the toolbar and check that it says Direct (Port forwarding explains how to get there). Second, if you are on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, move to 5 GHz — cursor latency on 2.4 GHz often exceeds 30 ms even on a fast router.
Does Remio forward an Xbox or PlayStation controller from the client?
Yes. Pair the controller via Bluetooth to the Mac or iPad client, and the Windows PC sees a real Xbox 360 or DualShock 4 controller — up to four at once, each in its own player slot. Analog triggers come through as triggers, and a game's rumble comes back to your controller.
Can the Mac client stream from a headless Windows PC?
Yes. Remio installs a virtual display driver during the Windows host install. If no monitor is attached, the virtual display becomes the primary; the Mac client receives it at the resolution you choose. Perfect for an always-on streaming box in a closet or under a desk.
Related guides
- Set up Mac to Mac — same flow within the Apple ecosystem.
- Set up Mac to iPad — for the iPad client side.
- Multi-monitor configuration — pick which Windows display to stream.
- Firewall and NAT — corporate firewall scenarios.
- Cloud gaming with Remio — full gaming-specific tuning guide.
