You've probably been there. You bought a Raspberry Pi with big dreams of a silent, low-power workstation, only to realize that staring at a tiny Linux terminal isn't exactly the "desktop experience" you had in mind. Or maybe you've got a beefy Windows rig in the basement and you just want to access it from the couch using that $35 board.
Using a remote desktop client Raspberry Pi setup is honestly one of the smartest things you can do with these credit-card-sized computers. But here is the kicker: most people choose the wrong protocol and then wonder why their mouse lag makes the system unusable.
It's frustrating.
We’re going to fix that. Whether you’re trying to turn a Pi 4 into a thin client for your office or you’re pushing a Pi 5 to its limits with high-refresh-rate streaming, the software you choose changes everything. This isn't just about "making it work." It’s about making it feel like the computer is actually in the room with you.
Why the Protocol Matters More Than the Hardware
People obsess over RAM. They think, "If I buy the 8GB Pi 5, my remote desktop will be faster."
Wrong.
The bottleneck is almost always the protocol. If you're using VNC (Virtual Network Computing), you're basically sending a series of heavy image updates over the wire. It’s old. It’s reliable, sure, but it’s slow. On the flip side, RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), which is Microsoft's bread and butter, is surprisingly efficient on the Pi because it describes the UI elements rather than just sending raw pixels.
Then there’s the new school.
Remmina is the Swiss Army knife here. If you’ve spent any time in the Raspbian (now Raspberry Pi OS) ecosystem, you’ve likely seen it. It handles RDP, VNC, and SSH under one roof. But if you want zero-latency gaming or video editing? You skip the "standard" clients and go straight to Moonlight or NoMachine.
I’ve seen folks try to run 4K video over a basic VNC connection. It’s a slideshow. It’s painful. You have to match the tool to the task.
The Reality of RDP on Raspberry Pi
Most users are coming from a Windows environment. Naturally, they want to use RDP. To do this on a remote desktop client Raspberry Pi build, you usually reach for xrdp or a dedicated client like Remmina.
Here is something nobody tells you: xrdp on the Pi can be a bit of a nightmare with the Wayland compositor.
Since Raspberry Pi OS moved toward Wayland (specifically the Labwc compositor in recent Bookworm updates), the old ways of just installing a package and hitting "connect" have shifted. If you’re on the newer OS versions, you might find that traditional RDP clients struggle with hardware acceleration.
You’ll want to stick to Remmina for a GUI-heavy experience. It’s robust. It supports H.264 switching, which basically lets the Pi decode the video stream using its actual hardware chips rather than stressing the CPU. This keeps the board cool. It keeps the fans quiet.
- Install it via terminal:
sudo apt install remmina remmina-plugin-rdp. - Open it up.
- Tweak the color depth.
Seriously, drop the color depth to 16-bit if your network is spotty. You won't notice the difference in a spreadsheet, but your latency will drop by half.
NoMachine: The Secret Weapon for Speed
If you’re tired of the "laggy mouse" syndrome, you need to stop using RDP and VNC entirely. Use NoMachine.
I don’t know why more people don’t talk about this for the Pi. It’s proprietary, which bugs the open-source purists, but the performance is unmatched. It uses a protocol called NX. It feels local. Even on a Pi 3b+, NoMachine manages to make a remote Windows or Mac desktop feel snappy.
It handles audio better than anything else. Most remote desktop setups on the Pi have "crunchy" audio or none at all. NoMachine pipes it through perfectly.
The setup is a bit different because it’s not in the standard APT repositories. You have to go to their website, grab the ARMv8 .deb package, and install it manually. It’s an extra step. It’s worth it.
Moonlight and the Gaming Use Case
Let’s talk about the enthusiasts.
Maybe your remote desktop client Raspberry Pi isn't for work. Maybe it’s for playing Cyberpunk 2077 on a TV in the bedroom while your PC does the heavy lifting in the office.
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For this, you use Moonlight.
Moonlight is an open-source implementation of NVIDIA’s GameStream (and now works with Sunshine for AMD/Intel users). It is arguably the most efficient way to stream a desktop. It’s not just for games. Because it’s designed for 60fps low-latency video, using it for "normal" desktop work feels like magic.
The Pi 4 and Pi 5 have dedicated HEVC hardware decoders. Moonlight taps into this. You’re getting a 4K stream with less than 5ms of decoding latency.
It’s ridiculous.
But there’s a catch. Your network has to be wired. Don’t try to do high-end remote streaming over the Pi’s built-in Wi-Fi if you value your sanity. The interference from your microwave or your neighbor's router will cause frame drops that make you want to throw the Pi out the window.
Comparison of Methods
If you want the "Standard" experience, go Remmina (RDP). It’s what most businesses use. It’s what works with Windows Pro out of the box.
If you want the "Fastest" experience, go NoMachine. It’s the closest you’ll get to a native feel without a $1,000 thin client.
If you want the "Media/Gaming" experience, go Moonlight/Sunshine. Nothing else compares for video fluidity.
Dealing with the Wayland Shift
We have to talk about the technical hurdles. The Raspberry Pi community is currently in a transition period. The shift from X11 to Wayland has broken a lot of old tutorials.
If you find that your favorite remote desktop client Raspberry Pi software isn't showing the screen, or you’re getting a black screen with a cursor, it’s probably a permissions issue with the Wayland compositor.
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For VNC users, the built-in WayVNC is now the standard. Don't try to install TightVNC or RealVNC server on a fresh install of Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm; they won't work correctly because they expect an X11 environment. Stick to the pre-installed WayVNC toggled via raspi-config. It’s tuned specifically for the Pi’s video core.
Real World Performance Nuances
I’ve spent hundreds of hours testing these configurations. One thing I’ve noticed? Power supply matters.
It sounds unrelated to software, but a Pi that is undervolted will throttle its CPU. When the CPU throttles, your network stack slows down. When the network stack slows down, your remote desktop client starts stuttering. People blame the software, but it’s actually that cheap "phone charger" they’re using to power the Pi.
Use the official 5.1V 5A power supply for the Pi 5. Use a solid 3A supply for the Pi 4.
Also, heat.
The Pi 4 and 5 get hot when decoding high-bitrate video streams. If you don’t have a heatsink, the Pi will slow down mid-session. You’ll be 20 minutes into a remote session, and suddenly the lag spikes. That’s thermal throttling. Get a FLIRC case or an active cooler.
The Security Problem
Let's be real: putting a remote desktop client on the open internet is a terrible idea.
If you’re setting up a remote desktop client Raspberry Pi to access your home PC from a coffee shop, do not just port forward RDP (Port 3389). You will be hacked. It’s not a matter of "if," it’s a matter of "when."
Use a VPN.
Tailscale is the easiest way to do this. It takes about two minutes to set up on the Pi. It creates a secure mesh network. Once Tailscale is running, your Pi thinks it’s on the same local network as your PC, even if you’re in another country. It’s encrypted, it’s free for personal use, and it saves you from the headache of configuring firewall rules.
Actionable Next Steps
Setting this up shouldn't take your whole weekend. Here is the move:
First, decide on your host. If you're connecting to Windows, make sure Remote Desktop is actually enabled in your System Settings (Windows Home doesn't support this natively, you'll need to use a tool like SuperRDP or switch to NoMachine).
Second, update your Pi. Run sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade -y. This ensures your video drivers are current, which is massive for hardware-accelerated decoding.
Third, install Remmina if you want a general-purpose tool. It's the safest bet for 90% of users. Use the RDP protocol. In the settings, set the "Quality" to "Poor" (it sounds bad, but it just disables wallpaper and menu animations to save bandwidth).
If you find the lag annoying, immediately pivot to NoMachine. Download the ARMv8 DEB file from their site, install it with sudo apt install ./nomachine_package_name.deb, and enjoy the speed boost.
Finally, fix your network. If you can’t run an Ethernet cable, at least make sure your Pi is on the 5GHz Wi-Fi band, not 2.4GHz. You can force this in the localized settings.
Stop settling for a laggy, unresponsive remote experience. The hardware is capable; you just need to stop using 20-year-old protocols on a modern Linux distro. Get your power supply right, choose NoMachine or Moonlight for speed, and keep your session behind a VPN like Tailscale. You'll have a desktop that feels snappy enough for daily work without the bulk of a full tower on your desk.