Topic: Nintendo 3DS Needs PC Streaming App

This is my first post! It’s a polite, upbeat rant of sorts, LOL! I’ve been wondering lately about how Nintendo has streaming for their own 3DS and Switch consoles. I was viewing some of their YouTube videos lately, and since before I can remember Nintendo has been streaming games on their channel this whole time, so they have the software in their own consoles.

Wouldn’t it be great if the Nintendo 3DS and Switch had a streaming app for the computer?

It would be great if Nintendo put the app in the eShop so that we could stream our games onto the computer. This app would basically be just like the capture card, but people wouldn’t have to put hardware on the Nintendo 3DS.

I Googled this topic and all I found were a few blogs talking about how 3DS and Switch could stream Hulu and Netflix, something like that.

How come Netflix and Hulu came to the 3DS/Switch before a streaming app to the PC?

I sent an email to Nintendo, short and sweet, asking them to put their software in an app for customer use.

Thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

[Removed the direct link to Nintendo's contact web form because it's no longer working]

The 3DS can barely run some games, streaming isn't going to work in most instances.

@Claww04Gaming This is simple, the 3DS is not capable of streaming (even through a PC) without expensive hardware modifications which include additional boards, this is because there is no "TV Out" or way of getting the signal out of it without hardware changes.

As for "streaming from the 3DS to the TV/PC".... the 3DS is definitely not powerful enough for that. Streaming Hulu or Netflix is one thing... but doing that AND running a game is impossible. Have you played Pokémon Sun or Moon? The reason the regular 3DS completely reboots when you close the game is because it's using EVERY last drop of power to run Sun/Moon poorly - imagine then asking it to stream all the pokéfootage through your wi-fi?

As for why Nintendo can stream games? They're likely using development units designed specifically designed to stream, with additional resources (if not just using PCs).

The Switch however is a different story considering it has both a lot more power & a TV Out.

3DS might not be able to handle it but I agree this would be a cool feature to have on the Switch.

@shaneoh @DanteSolablood @Dogorilla Thanks so much for the replies! I really appreciate the feedback!

I think that it would be possible for Nintendo to get streaming on the 3DS. I see YouTubers do it all the time, even with the Ultra versions of Sun and Moon, which have more data to keep up with. They also run smoothly.

I believe they use unmentionable methods or extra hardware. They don't stream it from the 3DS itself as the hardware is not powerful enough

The reason the O3DS reboots is to shut down some background processes so it has sufficient memory to run the game. The N3DS does not have this workaround because it has increased memory.

@TheLZdragon Thank you for the response - that makes sense now.

All of these responses are sooooo helpful and much appreciated because I'm learning more about this that I didn't know about before.

So, if the issue with the fact that the Nintendo 3DS can't record is memory, then Nintendo can make a new line of DS's that can record. I mean, think about it - all these gamers are able to stream for these years and if third party companies have found a way to hack the 3DS for capture cards, then the ability to create software is there. Plus, the 3DS and Switch can stream Netflix, Hulu and YouTube. Also there are system updates, and the update can add more memory.

The way I think about the 3DS is in a similar way as my iPhone. I've had my iPhone for many years now and I couldn't record games directly from the iPhone like recording myself doing silly things. With all of iPhone's iOs updates, the recent update including a recording option and two days ago I was able to record my first iPhone gameplay. Before the iOs update, for the longest time, iPhone users had to download third party apps to record gameplay on their phone, or hook the phone to the computer to download the gameplay.

So, iPhone users e-mailed Apple over the years, asking Apple to include the recording option in the phones. My hope is that in the near future, Nintendo can either create a newer 3DS with the streaming capability or create an app that can be sold on the eShop.

A guy can dream, XD

@Blathers I agree that's why it reboots - however I doubt the N3DS has such increased memory that it can handle running the game & streaming at the same time... it's either or.

@Claww04Gaming Always keep hold of your dreams! Nintendo would have to release a new New 3DS in order to make streaming a game reality, in the 3DS it's a hardware issue not software. However, there is no reason to say that they won't... plus you can always buy yourself a modded 3DS and stream through your PC!!

Of course Nintendo would then DMCA your videos...

I think it’s a good any for the 3ds/Switch for computer even for mobile

@DanteSolablood I fear having to purchase a modded 3DS because through all of my research, it seems like the feedback from buyers is not positive, and if there is an issue with the modded version, unless I have engineering knowledge, the repairs might maybe cost money to fix it and then Nintendo probably won't fix it. Plus, some of those companies that have the modded versions, it can take up to 6-months for the console mailed and those companies are outside of the U.S.

Lool!, I hope Nintendo releases a "New" New 3DS XL.

@C-Mii13222 Interesting! Never thought about that! Thanks for replying!

As I reread your comment, I thought to myself that is such a great idea because then we can stream the 3DS to the phone, and then upload our gameplay to the computer. But another thought I had about your idea is that maybe the phone screen could be too small (although some third party apps can make the screen larger), however, I was wondering if the second screen would record.

Nintendo should make this an easier possibility

Your welcome

At official major Pokemon tournaments you can see special equipment hooked up to the 3DS units to connect them to a stream, it isn't as though it is simply software built into the system that customers are locked from using. Further the 3DS is very old tech, even the "New" models. Very under-powered by modern standards and has to put almost every bit of power it has into running the games. The Switch could probably handle some streaming for some games, but others push it to the limit too. However with the Switch you can stream it with standard HDMI capture card set ups. Still outside equipment, but standardized stuff you could use with any HDMI device.

@Heavyarms55 - Excellent observation! I didn't think about that. Maybe Nintendo could create a hardware kit since the Nintendo DS's already have that power combined with the hardware. And yes, I did look up the hardware for the Switch and the hardware that I plan on getting is compatible for the Switch. The only hardware that hooks up to the DS is outside of the country, and there is no reliable U.S. option for a hardware purchase for the DS. Plus, if all of the DS's are pushed to the limit on the hardware hookup, that could be a package kit that Nintendo could sell. Nintendo would benefit either way, whether a software download or a hardware kit. Only one person I know uses a software hack for his DS, and he downloaded it from some website and he's able to stream - his only complaint was that the downloaded software was in another language. I did this post because if whoever that person is that created the software to hack the DS, then Nintendo has the capability to create their own, and a software download would be easier than a hardware kit, in my opinion. That's where the idea came from to post my thoughts about software versus hardware. I worry about downloading a third party software hack onto the DS because the comments from those who have used it stated that there were a few crashes, but mainly the second screen couldn't be recorded without a few changes to it. Those are the people who need a basic understanding with code, LOL!

I will be getting the Switch soon. Also, I can't play most DS games on the Switch because some of the DS games are locked to the DS.

@Claww04Gaming It would have been nice had Nintendo released an officially licensed or supported version of that hardware to the general public, but for whatever reason, they never did. There are mods out there that you can buy or have someone install, but it's all custom work. I know of several YouTubers who have them NBZ, Chuggaconroy, shofu... but it is custom work and not the cheapest thing in the world.

@Heavyarms55 True, it would have been nice if Nintendo did release an official licensed hardware to the public. The modded versions, although not the cheapest as you mention, are also not that reliable because there really is only ONE company that mods the 3DS. From my research into this so far (you may have better insight in this than me), it just seems that this ONE company takes several months to return the 3DS and if there's an issue, the customer has to pay for the repair. The other two people that I found in the U.S. who mod the DS are only able to do the older DS console. I have yet to find a company that will mod the 3DS in the U.S.

And one person posted on a blog his experience with sending his DS out of the country to that third party company. He said it took 4-months (lots of back orders he said) and when he contacted them for an update, they said to speed up the process they required an additional $200, already on top of what he paid for originally.

I found a software that can be downloaded on the 3DS, a hack, and although I'm wary of it I did some research into it a bit. What I found interesting after reading it throughly was that the person intending to download the software onto the 3DS has to have the same Internet connection on the 3DS as the computer, so a hotspot can't be used. The person downloading the software needs to use a wired Internet connection.

I did this post after reading those instructions from the mod and thought to myself, "If this mod can create a software like this to download to the 3DS and stream to the PC, then so can Nintendo." So now I have to get a wired Internet connection to download this modded software, and I currently don't have the ability to get wired Internet, so I might have to go somewhere, an office building of sorts that have wired WiFi and hop on their connection since I only have a hotspot. The feedback, so far, has been reported as good and no one has reported a problem.

As you mention these other YouTubers that have modded versions, it's not like they are going to share with the public how they were able to stream their 3DS either because then they'd be giving away how they got their 3DS to stream to the PC, otherwise they would have done a video on it, and if there are YouTubers that have done a video on it, they ALL only mention that ONE company out of Japan and because of the demand, their price actually went up from last year.