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How to use the Quick Menu on Shadow PC

Updated 

8 days ago

The Quick Menu quickmenu.png is an overlay menu designed for Shadow PC. To view the Quick Menu, open the Shadow PC launcher, log in, and start Shadow PC. You can adjust most of Shadow PC's settings in the Quick Menu without exiting your stream. This article is here to help you understand the uses and benefits of this feature.

Note: The Quick Menu is available on Windows, macOS, Ubuntu, Android & Android TV, iOS and tvOS, and Raspberry Pi, but it may not appear on low-end configurations that do not meet the recommended requirements. Disable the Quick Menu on low-end configurations in your launcher settings.

Getting around the Quick Menu

Once your stream has started, you'll see a Quick Menu icon quickmenu.png at the top of your screen.

This icon disappears when your mouse or other input is idle. You can move your mouse to make the icon appear or use keyboard shortcuts to interact with the Quick Menu.

Upon opening the Quick Menu, you'll be presented with the overlay below.

Contains a battery indicator (for mobile devices) and the following quick actions:

Enter or exit full screen

Unlock or lock the cursor

Mute or unmute the microphone

Restart streaming

Close streaming

Turn off Shadow

A vertical list of Quick Menu settings on the left-hand side. Select an option to view more settings under that category.

Statistics to help you monitor your Shadow's performance in real time. Learn more about the Usage Stats panel.

Quick Menu settings

Show Quick Menu icon

Choose to display or hide the Quick Menu icon at the top of your screen. You can still access the Quick Menu using keyboard shortcuts as long as it has not been disabled in the Settings.

Enable dual-screen streaming automatically

Enable this option to have Shadow automatically detect and stream on your second screen. See how to add an additional screen to Shadow.

Always match Shadow resolution with local display

If this option is enabled, Shadow will automatically be configured according to the settings of the screen on which it is displayed at each launch.
To choose these settings manually, disable this setting and restart Shadow PC.

High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265)

A video compression standard designed to deliver higher-quality videos with a reduced file size. If Shadow PC is slow or refuses to start, try turning on H.265. Learn more about High Efficiency Video Coding (H.265).

Enable microphone

Turn on this setting to have Shadow PC detect your microphone. You can also choose which microphone to use from the input list.

If you have a USB microphone, you can also forward your USB device. Turn off this setting if your microphone has been forwarded as a USB.

Audio Quality

This setting is set to "Regular" by default, but you can change this setting to "High" for lossless sound quality. High quality audio requires more bandwidth. Switch back to "Regular" if you were to notice latency or degradation of your audio such as stuttering.

Connect your game controllers and USB devices to Shadow PC.

Lists the controllers Shadow PC has detected. Also includes an option to enable "Gamepad as mouse". Learn more about connecting a controller.

Forwarding allows you to access a USB device on Shadow as if it was physically connected using USB redirection technology.

Under "USB forwarding settings", you'll see a list of USB devices Shadow PC has detected. Check the box next to these devices to use them on your Shadow.

Note: USB forwarding is available after the drivers have been installed. Learn more about USB forwarding.​

Playstation controllers extended compatibility

If your PlayStation controller is not recognized on Shadow PC, you can enable this option to emulate an Xbox controller. Learn more about connecting PlayStation controllers.

To connect a controller on a Shadow PC Pro configuration, see help for Windows Server 2019.

USB-HID forwarding settings

Forward USB-HID devices to Shadow PC. Docking stations are one of the most common examples of an HID-compliant devices. HID devices use a protocol that make it easy to connect any USB device to your computer without additional software required.

Note: Your mouse, keyboard, or controller may misbehave if your USB-HID device is forwarded. Either remove the HID device from the forwarded list or plug the affected USB devices directly into your local computer.​

​Adjust network settings.

Your bit rate is the maximum amount of data that can be transferred using your internet connection. By default, Shadow PC's maximum bit rate is set to "Auto detect", but you can also choose a "Custom" bit rate.

Adjusting your bit rate is a best practice for improving latency.

Turn off notifications that appear when your network is unstable.

Streaming preferences

This setting allows you to switch between two streaming protocols:

  • Prefer speed (UDP)

  • Prefer reliability (TCP)

Adjusting your streaming preferences is a best practice for improving latency.​

In the Help section, you'll find:

  • Links to our Help Center, Support, and Community

  • A list of shortcuts for your local operating system

  • The Quick Menu version number

Note: Some settings in this article vary depending on your device's operating system and the launcher version. This article covers the Quick Menu settings available on most Shadow PC apps.

Related questions

The Quick Menu icon may be hidden or disabled, or it is incompatible with your device.

The following is a list of instances that will cause Quick Menu incompatibility:

  • 32-bit versions of the Shadow PC launcher

  • low-end configurations that do not meet the recommended requirements

  • applications that are still in Early Access

You can still control the Quick Menu if it is enabled using keyboard shortcuts.

Settings not available in the Quick Menu can be found in the launcher Settings.

Still have questions after reading this article?

Check out our other articles or contact Shadow Support.

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