How to Use the Quick Menu on Shadow

The Quick Menu is an interface designed for Shadow that allows you to adjust your settings and connect new devices without having to return to the launcher. This article is here to help you understand the uses and benefits of this feature.

The Quick Menu is only available on the following applications: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Android TV, iOS, and Apple TV. To open the Quick Menu, log into the Shadow launcher, then Start Shadow. Once Shadow starts, click on the Shadow logo located at the top of the screen, or press the Quick Menu shortcut:

Windows: ALT + WIN + O
macOS: ALT + CMD + O
Linux: ALT + SUPER + O

We recommend disabling the Quick Menu in your launcher settings on low-end configurations.

In the quick menu you can find:

On the left, several categories to set up Shadow:
- General
- Video & Display
- Audio
- Controllers & USB
- Network
- Help
At the top, several buttons with specific features to the Quick Menu (cursor, display mode).
On the right, the usage stats to monitor the status of your connection to Shadow in real time.

Some settings in this article vary depending on your device's operating system and your version of Shadow. This article covers the settings available on most Shadow apps.

General

Allows you to show or hide the Quick Menu icon at the top of your screen.

The Quick Menu remains accessible via the shortcut corresponding to your application as long as you do not disable it in the launcher settings.

Video & Display

You will find the screen(s) on which Shadow is displayed in this section.

Enable dual-screen streaming automatically

Enable this option to have Shadow automatically detect and stream on your second screen. For more information, you can also read this article: 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. If you prefer to choose these settings manually, follow these steps:

Disable the "Always match Shadow resolution with local display" option in the Quick Menu.
Restart Shadow.
Once on your Shadow, a new window will open. Click on "Custom Settings".

Audio

You will find the microphone (with a non-USB connection) redirected to Shadow in this section.

Enable microphone

We do not recommend forwarding your microphone to Shadow if you have a low-bandwidth connection. To set up your Shadow according to your internet connection and check the latter, please refer to this article: How to troubleshoot your internet connection.

To forward your microphone, please follow the indications according to your type of microphone (USB or other connections):

I have a microphone with a USB connection:

In order to forward any USB device, you first need to enable the "Use my USB devices on my Shadow" option in your launcher settings. To activate your microphone, go to the "Controllers & USB" category, then click on the box next to the microphone you want to forward on Shadow.
I have a microphone with another connection:

To activate your microphone, stay in the Audio category. Click on the button next to the "Enable microphone" setting, then select the microphone you want to forward in the drop-down list.

Audio Quality

This setting is set to "Regular" by default. You can use the arrows to change this setting to "High" for lossless sound quality, but this will require more bandwidth.

Switch back to "Regular" if you were to notice latency or degradation of your audio such as stuttering.

Controllers & USB

Use the Controllers tab to see which of your controllers are connected to your Shadow.

PlayStation controllers extended compatibility

If your PlayStation controller is not recognized on Shadow, you can enable this option to emulate an Xbox controller. To connect your controllers to your Shadow PC Pro, please refer to this article: How to connect a controller to Windows Server?

To forward a USB device to your Shadow, once in the "Controllers & USB" category, click on the box next to your device.

For more information on this subject, you can read the article How to connect a USB device to Shadow.

Network

Maximum Bit Rate

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

If your device was made before 2014, it may not support H.265 encoding and must be disabled. If issues persist or worsen, H.265 may not be compatible with your device. Turn H.265 off, then try lowering your maximum bit rate.

Help

The Help section includes:

A list of shortcuts to use depending on your Shadow application.
Links with our Support platform: the Help Center, the Support Request Form, and our Discord.

Other features

Located at the top of the Quick Menu, these buttons can help you:

Enter or exit full screen

Choose to display Shadow in full screen or windowed mode.

Lock or unlock cursor

Switches between these two modes:

Locked cursor: The cursor stays within the Shadow window. Recommended for playing.

Unlocked cursor: The cursor can be moved outside the Shadow window. Recommended for office use.

Restart streaming

Stops and starts Shadow's stream. Best used after changing Shadow's settings.

Usage stats

The Quick Menu includes the Usage Stats, designed to help you monitor your Shadow's performance in real time.

Interpreting the different statistics:

Frame rate: Measures how many frames (or images) are displayed on your Shadow per second. This is also referred to as "FPS" (Frames Per Second). Shadow can display up to 144FPS (frames per second) on screens with a 1080p resolution. 4K resolution screens can display up to 60FPS. To set a custom frame rate for Shadow, please refer to the section "Always match Shadow resolution with local display".
Bandwidth: Shows how much bandwidth your internet connection is using to stream Shadow. If you would like Shadow to use less bandwidth, you can reduce it directly in the Quick Menu. To do so, please refer to the section "Maximum Bit Rate".
Latency: Displays the amount of time it takes for your connection to communicate with our data centers, in milliseconds. Latency is relative to your internet connection. If this graph is unstable or exceeds 30ms, this may cause you to experience high latency or "lag". Using a 5GHz WiFi connection or Ethernet cable may help lower latency. If this does not solve the issue, we invite you to consult the other recommendations in our article How to troubleshoot your internet connection.
Connection drops (packet loss): Displays the percentage of packets lost between your connection and Shadow. Packet loss can cause lag, stuttering, freezing, or connection loss. You can prevent packet loss by restarting your router, using a 5GHz WiFi connection or Ethernet cable, or connecting to a different network. If this does not solve the issue, we invite you to consult the other recommendations in our article How to troubleshoot your internet connection.