13 ms·

You could get a dummy HDMI plug for $3 on Amazon and free up that monitor if you need it. [1] [1] https://www.amazon.com/BKFK-HDMI-Dummy-Plug-3840x2160/dp/B0CJ

You could get a dummy HDMI plug for $3 on Amazon and free up that monitor if you need it. [1] [1] https://www.amazon.com/BKFK-HDMI-Dummy-Plug-3840x2160/dp/B0CJZFKQLR https://www.amazon.com/BKFK-HDMI-Dummy-Plug-3840x2160/dp/B0C...

ekimekim 2y ago
I do use it occasionally - mostly when Windows has thrown up some issue stopping Steam from working properly. eg. I need to dismiss a dialog that is invisible over remote play, or it won't finish logging in until I close a "finish setting up your windows install" screen.
- genewitch 2y ago
  Go to the gaming machine and upgrade it to > home or edu version if needed. Enable remote desktop with auth on your network for that machine. As long as Windows is booted and able to be logged in to on the gaming machine you can go on your other machine: Win+R mstsc.exe and put in the gaming machine's name or IP and follow the instructions, checking all "remember this" boxes (there's 2, three if you count the certificate). RDP won't let you play games but it is functionally identical to sitting at the machine itself.
  - genewitch 2y ago
    I meant to come back and fix this but missed the window. I am unsure if the home/edu/N/P whatever versions of windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 support actually remote controlling the desktop as opposed to merely getting a "video feed" as it were. There's ways to upgrade to pro that are beyond my pay grade to discuss, but i think you can get a clean copy of windows that supports RDP for $130. If your alternative is "having a monitor plugged in 24/7" or "dummy cables but still have to plug a monitor in if something goes wrong with steam link {and it will. -ed.}" or other hacks/hardware, and you're already running windows at least the GPU/gaming side, RDP practically pays for itself even though it's $130 for that feature. Someone else probably has alternatives (moonlight? bazzite? gopro and a soviet-era robotic arm (it only leaks a bit when it's hot outside.))
- distantsounds 2y ago
  consider a different remote access option i.e. sunshine + moonlight instead of using steam remote play
  - alias_neo 2y ago
    Can confirm, Sunshine + Moonlight are a killer combination. I run a Windows VM on one of my servers for some gaming because I don't run Window's otherwise, and with Sunshine on the VM, I can play with moonlight from my TV, laptop, desktop, phone, ROG Ally (Bazzite), tablet, basically anything that can support Moonlight.
reddalo 2y ago
I still don't understand why operating systems can't properly work without a screen. I have a Linux "home server" and I haven't found a way to boot up a graphical session with everything working (there were bugs in some applications, like menus not showing up, you couldn't change resolution, etc.). A dummy HDMI plug fixed it, but still. It's 2025, come on.
- Fnoord 2y ago
  Back in days (around twenty years ago) I used NoMachine on Debian/SPARC to do exactly this: run GNOME remotely. Waypipe nowadays allows the same, but I don't think it has resuming support.
- shepherdjerred 2y ago
  You can definitely run graphical environments without a screen in a virtual environment, e.g. https://github.com/selkies-project/docker-nvidia-egl-desktop https://github.com/selkies-project/docker-nvidia-egl-desktop which is even GPU accelerated
- Rohansi 2y ago
  Parsec has a driver which adds virtual monitors so you should be able to use that instead of a dummy HDMI plug. Another issue is not having a mouse plugged in will mean you have no mouse cursor when remoting in.
  - packtreefly 2y ago
    > not having a mouse plugged in will mean you have no mouse cursor when remoting in. Parsec has a setting to fix that too. Look in the host options.
- thatfrenchguy 2y ago
  macOS has no issues with no monitor fwiw
- kevin_thibedeau 2y ago
  Headless X11 machines were a thing then it was all abandoned.
mgrandl 2y ago
There is also this: https://github.com/VirtualDisplay/Virtual-Display-Driver https://github.com/VirtualDisplay/Virtual-Display-Driver Never used it, but I heard great things!
- RockRobotRock 2y ago
  Ran into problems, but that's probably because of the proxmox pcie passthrough nvidia gpu torture chamber I went through, and not the driver.

ekimekim 2y ago

I do use it occasionally - mostly when Windows has thrown up some issue stopping Steam from working properly. eg. I need to dismiss a dialog that is invisible over remote play, or it won't finish logging in until I close a "finish setting up your windows install" screen.

genewitch 2y ago
Go to the gaming machine and upgrade it to > home or edu version if needed. Enable remote desktop with auth on your network for that machine. As long as Windows is booted and able to be logged in to on the gaming machine you can go on your other machine: Win+R mstsc.exe and put in the gaming machine's name or IP and follow the instructions, checking all "remember this" boxes (there's 2, three if you count the certificate). RDP won't let you play games but it is functionally identical to sitting at the machine itself.
- genewitch 2y ago
  I meant to come back and fix this but missed the window. I am unsure if the home/edu/N/P whatever versions of windows 7, 8, 10, and 11 support actually remote controlling the desktop as opposed to merely getting a "video feed" as it were. There's ways to upgrade to pro that are beyond my pay grade to discuss, but i think you can get a clean copy of windows that supports RDP for $130. If your alternative is "having a monitor plugged in 24/7" or "dummy cables but still have to plug a monitor in if something goes wrong with steam link {and it will. -ed.}" or other hacks/hardware, and you're already running windows at least the GPU/gaming side, RDP practically pays for itself even though it's $130 for that feature. Someone else probably has alternatives (moonlight? bazzite? gopro and a soviet-era robotic arm (it only leaks a bit when it's hot outside.))
distantsounds 2y ago
consider a different remote access option i.e. sunshine + moonlight instead of using steam remote play
- alias_neo 2y ago
  Can confirm, Sunshine + Moonlight are a killer combination. I run a Windows VM on one of my servers for some gaming because I don't run Window's otherwise, and with Sunshine on the VM, I can play with moonlight from my TV, laptop, desktop, phone, ROG Ally (Bazzite), tablet, basically anything that can support Moonlight.

reddalo 2y ago

I still don't understand why operating systems can't properly work without a screen. I have a Linux "home server" and I haven't found a way to boot up a graphical session with everything working (there were bugs in some applications, like menus not showing up, you couldn't change resolution, etc.). A dummy HDMI plug fixed it, but still. It's 2025, come on.

Fnoord 2y ago
Back in days (around twenty years ago) I used NoMachine on Debian/SPARC to do exactly this: run GNOME remotely. Waypipe nowadays allows the same, but I don't think it has resuming support.
shepherdjerred 2y ago
You can definitely run graphical environments without a screen in a virtual environment, e.g. https://github.com/selkies-project/docker-nvidia-egl-desktop https://github.com/selkies-project/docker-nvidia-egl-desktop which is even GPU accelerated
Rohansi 2y ago
Parsec has a driver which adds virtual monitors so you should be able to use that instead of a dummy HDMI plug. Another issue is not having a mouse plugged in will mean you have no mouse cursor when remoting in.
- packtreefly 2y ago
  > not having a mouse plugged in will mean you have no mouse cursor when remoting in. Parsec has a setting to fix that too. Look in the host options.
thatfrenchguy 2y ago
macOS has no issues with no monitor fwiw
kevin_thibedeau 2y ago
Headless X11 machines were a thing then it was all abandoned.

mgrandl 2y ago

There is also this: https://github.com/VirtualDisplay/Virtual-Display-Driver https://github.com/VirtualDisplay/Virtual-Display-Driver Never used it, but I heard great things!

RockRobotRock 2y ago
Ran into problems, but that's probably because of the proxmox pcie passthrough nvidia gpu torture chamber I went through, and not the driver.