Nvidia Shield Gamestream Not Working: How To Fix [2023]

One of the most remarkable features of the Nvidia Shield TV is its capability to stream games from your PC onto the big screen at resolutions up to 4K 60FPS.

Some oddballs aside, the Shield TV has been able to deliver output consistently.

But these interloping errors can make your day a little bit demanding when it suddenly pops up out of the blue.

If your Nvidia Shield Gamestream is not working, try reinstalling the software and updating the software and drivers on your PC. If the issue persists, log out and uninstall GeForce Experience and clear the cache on the Shield TV. If none of these work, factory reset your Shield TV.

This guide will explain each troubleshooting step in detail that can fix all Nvidia Gamestream issues.

Requirements for GameStream to Work on Shield TV

Basic Requirements

Knowing your what's what and how's how is crucial before jumping to conclusions.

If you don't know the requirements, you may have issues with the stream. Make sure you meet the requirements.

PC and CPU requirements

Nvidia has put out a minimum compatibility list that is necessary to operate the GameStream feature on your computer.

The list specifies that the CPU must at least be an Intel i3-2100 or an AMD Athlon II X4 630.

Also, an Nvidia GPU of GeForce GTX 650 or higher is an absolute must. 4 GB of RAM is the recommended memory minimum (regardless of the type).

And your PC must be operating on Windows 7 or higher.

Generally speaking, the higher the specs, the better.

Network Requirements

Network connectivity is of the utmost importance when talking about streams and streaming devices.

Make sure you have a good connection, preferably above 6 Mbps speeds. Again, the higher, the better.

Also crucial is to connect both devices to the same network. If not, the Shield TV or the computer may not be visible to each other during the pairing process.

Wired connections may be preferred over wireless connections due to their superior speeds and stability even under extreme load.

If you plan on using a wireless connection, try to connect to a 5 GHz bandwidth connection. The standard 2.4 GHz connection is susceptible to higher latencies and dropped connections.

Turn OFF VPNs enabled on your devices to avoid further problems. VPNs generally limit the speeds and cause latency fluctuations which are not ideal while streaming.

If you are having issues with the internet, you might want to look into Internet issues on Shield TV.

Turn off Antivirus Software on Your PC

It is recommended to turn OFF or disable the antivirus and network protection software on your PC.

Antivirus software tends to block access to the GeForce Experience app, which houses the GameStream feature.

If disabling the software doesn't seem to help, try uninstalling it. Softwares like Razer Synapse, Kaspersky, and Keybots need to be completely removed from the system.

Update the Software

Running on outdated versions may prove to be unruly.

Make sure you have updated the necessary software on your devices to avoid the plethora of problems that can arise out of primitive software.

To update the Shield TV, follow these steps.

1. On the Home screen, click and open the Setting icon.

Shield TV Device Preferences

2. Select Device Preferences and then click and open About.

Shield TV About

3. Click on System Upgrade to manually update the device.

Shield TV System Upgrade

You should also frequently check and update the Nvidia Games app on the Shield TV

You may have to update the GeForce Experience software as well on the PC. Simply open the app and check for updates under the Settings/Preferences tab.

If you have updates left for Windows, complete them and restart the device, and then access GameStream.

Windows Defender Issue

Windows Defender Issue

If you are unable to access the GameStream feature on your PC, it may be because of Windows defender's intervention.

In that case, try disabling Windows Defender. If you don't want to disable the firewall, you can grant access to the required applications that enable streaming.

Follow these steps to allow access to the necessary applications.

1. Open Windows Defender on your PC.

2. Click on Settings and select Exclude files and location.

3. Then, locate the file location of Nvidia. Generally - C:\Program files\NVIDIA Corporation.

4. In that file location, select the folders containing streamer.exe and container.exe. Generally, NVStreamSrv and NVcontainer folders.

5. Click on Add to allow access.

6. Select Save changes and then Exit the application.

Now, try accessing the GeForce Experience and try connecting through GameStream.

Log Out and Uninstall GeForce Experience

Getting error codes [80070004] or [80084190] with messages "Cannot connect PC"? These error codes are associated with network and login issues.

Try logging out of your GeForce Experience account and then logging in again. Check if this was helpful. If not, try forgetting the Shield TV by going to Preferences and clicking on Forget devices.

You will now have to pair the devices again. Follow the pairing process on both devices and enter the pairing code that appears on your Shield TV interface onto the PC to complete these up.

If you still have issues with the application, try uninstalling the app (GeForce Experience).

When you remove the application, make sure you have completely removed it by deleting the Root folder too (NVIDIA Corporation).

After a quick reboot, install the software once again. Make sure to not remove any ancillary driver/application that comes with GeForce Experience software.

Update Nvidia Drivers

Changing the Driver settings

Some problems may be so persistent that you may have to resort to a much more technical solution. Updating the Nvidia drivers may be one such solution.

Download the right driver updates suitable for your Graphics card from the Nvidia website.

To update the driver on your PC, follow these steps.

1. Open Device Manager on your PC(from the control panel or by searching on the Start menu).

2. Click and open the Display adapters option and then click and expand Nvidia.

3. Double-tap on the driver from the directory and select the Drivers option on the new window.

4. Select the update driver option and select the "Browse my computer for updates" option.

Restart the PC after updating and then try connecting the devices.

In the same window (step 3), you will have options for rolling back the updates and uninstalling the driver.

If you were not able to benefit from updating the driver, try rolling back the driver to a previous version.

Finally, if none of these changes helped, try uninstalling the driver from your PC. Make sure you have logged in through safe mode before proceeding to uninstall.

Reinstall the driver by downloading the latest version from the Nvidia website.

Clear the Cache on Shield TV

On the Shield TV side of things, you can try and log out and log back into the Nvidia Games Hub app.

If that doesn't help, try clearing the cache of the Games app. If your Cache is overflowing, the likelihood of bugs and errors sprouting up on your device is very high.

Clearing the Cache memory can make the device much more efficient. To do so, follow these steps.

1. In the Home screen, click and open the Settings icon.

2. Navigate and select Apps.

Shield TV Apps

3. Click on the Nvidia games app.

4. Click on the clear cache option to free the cache memory.

Restart the device and try streaming now.

You can also try uninstalling the app if clearing the cache was unsuccessful. Click on Uninstall while in the games app window in step 4.

Restart the device and then reinstall the app from the play store.

Sometimes, the problem may not be with the GameStream itself, it may be due to issues with other ancillary aspects of the Shield TV.

One such peripheral that may cause problems on the Shield TV is the Joystick. If you are having issues with the game controller, check out this article on Controller issues on the Shield TV.

Factory Reset your Shield TV

As a final straw, try factory resetting the Shield TV. Hard resetting the device will remove all the dormant bugs and stale files, which usually remain even after removing an app.

To reset your Shield TV follow these steps.

1. In the Settings tab, click and open Device Preferences.

Shield TV Device Preferences

2. Click on Reset.

Shield TV Factory Reset

3. Select Factory Data Reset.

Shield TV Erase Everything

4. Finally, click on Erase everything to confirm the process.

Wait for the process to complete. Follow the setup procedure and log into your Shield TV.

Pair your Shield TV with your PC on the Games app. Check if you were able to solve the problem.

Final Thoughts

And there you have it, a comprehensive yet subtle guide on how to fix the GameStream issue with the Shield TV.

If you have problems with the display while playing games on your Shield TV, check out this article on HDMI issues on Shield TV.

Try contacting Nvidia Customer Services if you couldn't solve the issue using this guide.

Happy Streaming.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Are there other alternatives to GameStream?

Yes, there are a few alternatives to GameStream available on the market. The best alternative is Moonlight. Other alternatives include Parsec Gaming, KinoConsole, and Rainway. Nvidia's own GeForce Now also allows remote play on Android devices, including Shield TV.

Can you stream games from Steam on Shield TV?

Yes, you can play games from Steam on Shield TV. Select the Steam option from the GameStream menu in the games app and the app will be downloaded. It will enable Steam Big picture mode on your PC and allow you to use a controller to play the games.

About Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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Doug Stevenson

Hey! I'm Doug, My passion for tech started by fixing phones and computers for my friends and family.

I started Blinqblinq to give reliable tech advice to anyone who needs it, for free! If you have questions on anything tech-related, feel free to contact me.

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