The Nintendo Switch could be a great tablet, if Nintendo wanted it to be anything more than a portable gaming console, and some people have set out to prove exactly that. One such user was able to play Blizzard’s multiplayer shooter Overwatch on the Nintendo Switch over Nvidia’s GameStream.
Nvidia’s GameStream is a streaming technology that lets you stream games from a PC to another device, such as Nvidia’s own Shield Android devices. However, as you can see in the video below, it is also possible to get the service running on a Nintendo Switch (if you’re willing to break the rules):
Why wait for console ports? 😏 pic.twitter.com/efNeCJ0EAj
— switchroot (@switchroot_org) June 16, 2019
The Overwatch gameplay seems smooth enough. The same developer got GeForce Now streaming on the console:
In case someone was wondering about GeForce Now pic.twitter.com/tKbK1kxbvc
— switchroot (@switchroot_org) June 16, 2019
In previous tweets, the developers showed Android booting on the Switch:
— switchroot (@switchroot_org) June 15, 2019
And the user also provided benchmark scores for the Nintendo Switch, in case you were curious:
Have some numbers😊 pic.twitter.com/XZ7Nju1Xxa
— switchroot (@switchroot_org) June 15, 2019
That said, you shouldn’t expect actual Android support on any of Nintendo’s consoles going forward. That’s because Nintendo will want to keep making as much money as possible off of its own games without having to worry about any competition from titles available on Android.
The developers behind the @switchroot Twitter handle did not share details about how they got Android running on the Switch, and we don’t encourage you to replicate it. You could end up bricking your console or getting banned from the eShop. That said, these feats prove that the Switch could be a lot more versatile and useful in the right hands.
Nintendo, meanwhile, is set to launch two new Switch versions this year, rumors say, including a cheaper model as well as an upgrade of the current console with improved hardware.
