SimHub remote rendering
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Remote rendering, available since SimHub 8.2.1, makes the PC draw the dashboard and stream it to the client as JPEG images, instead of the client rendering it in a browser. It exists for devices too weak to render a dashboard themselves — a Raspberry Pi, an old tablet, a cheap Android box. Enable it by adding ?RemoteRender=true to the dashboard URL. It has three hard limits: no touch input, a fixed 800×480 resolution, and no disconnect detection.
Most people should not use this. If your device renders a dashboard acceptably in a browser, the normal path is better in every respect — it is sharper, it scales to the screen, and it responds to touch.
What it does differently
Normally, SimHub serves a dashboard as a web page and the client's browser renders it. That puts the work on the client, which is fine for a modern phone and too much for a Raspberry Pi.
With remote rendering, the PC draws the dashboard itself and sends the result as a stream of JPEG images. The client only has to display pictures, which almost anything can do.
| Normal | Remote rendering | |
|---|---|---|
| Who renders | The client's browser | Your PC |
| What crosses the network | A web page and telemetry updates | A stream of JPEG images |
| Client requirement | A capable modern browser | Almost anything that shows images |
| Resolution | Scales to the screen | Fixed 800×480 |
| Touch | Works | Does not work |
| Network use | Low | Higher — it is a video stream |
Enabling it
Add the parameter to the dashboard URL the client opens:
The URL parameter ?RemoteRender=true — appended to the address SimHub gives you for the phone or tablet.
So an address that would normally be http://192.168.1.83:8888/ becomes http://192.168.1.83:8888/?RemoteRender=true. Everything else about the setup — the firewall, the network profile, the http-not-https requirement — is identical to the normal phone setup, and it is worth getting that working first before adding this.
The three limits
- No touch input
- The client is displaying pictures, so there is nothing to touch. Any dashboard built around touch buttons loses that functionality entirely. Bind screen switching to a wheel button instead — SimHub provides
NextScreenand five other actions for exactly this. - Fixed 800×480
- Not scaled to the client's screen. On a display that is not 800×480 you get letterboxing or stretching. Design or choose a dashboard at that resolution.
- No disconnect detection
- The PC does not know when the client has gone. The practical effect is that a dropped connection does not clean itself up — you reconnect manually rather than it recovering.
The touch limitation is the one that catches people. A dashboard with on-screen buttons is a normal thing to build, and it works perfectly right up until you enable remote rendering. If your dashboard has touch controls, bind those functions to physical buttons before switching.
When it is the right choice
- A Raspberry Pi as a dedicated dash. The original use case, and a good one — a Pi with a small screen makes a permanent dash unit for very little money.
- An old tablet whose browser cannot keep up with a complex dashboard. Remote rendering can revive one that is otherwise unusably slow.
- A cheap Android box or e-ink-adjacent panel where the browser is the bottleneck.
- Not a modern phone. If a browser renders it well, use the normal path — you keep touch, sharpness and correct scaling.
The rule of thumb: try the normal method first. Remote rendering is a workaround for a specific weakness, and it costs you three real features to get it.
Common questions
What is SimHub remote rendering?
A mode, available since SimHub 8.2.1, where your PC draws the dashboard and streams it to the client as JPEG images rather than the client rendering it in a browser. It exists for devices too weak to render a dashboard themselves.
How do I enable remote rendering in SimHub?
Append ?RemoteRender=true to the dashboard URL the client opens — so http://192.168.1.83:8888/ becomes http://192.168.1.83:8888/?RemoteRender=true. Everything else about the network setup is the same as a normal phone dashboard.
Does touch work with remote rendering?
No. The client is displaying images, so there is nothing interactive to touch. If your dashboard has on-screen buttons, bind those functions to physical buttons — SimHub provides NextScreen, PreviousScreen and four Action bindings for this.
What resolution does remote rendering use?
A fixed 800×480, not scaled to the client's screen. On any other resolution you get letterboxing or stretching, so choose or design a dashboard at 800×480.
Should I use remote rendering on my phone?
Probably not. A modern phone renders a dashboard well in its browser, and the normal path keeps touch, sharpness and correct scaling. Remote rendering is for weak clients such as a Raspberry Pi or an old tablet.
Why doesn't my remote-rendered dashboard reconnect automatically?
There is no disconnect detection — the PC does not know the client has gone, so nothing cleans up or recovers. Reconnect manually. It is one of the three documented limits of the mode.
Sources
Related guides
SimHub is developed independently by Wotever and is not affiliated with oesimracing. More on what SimHub is and what it costs.