PC Game Streaming Service Rainway Confirms Switch As A Supported Platform

Seems very unlikely. Nintendo are the most strict when it comes to handling apps like these.

I don't get how this works. You can basically play your PC games on your Switch? Guess you have to buy them through their platform though, right?

Streaming 1080p or 720p video without a horrendous degree of compression and without an almost unbearable input delay?

We'll see.

@n00rs No, it's all streamed. Think of all this as (ironically), the Wii U. In this scenario, your PC would be running the game (Wii U console) while the audio and video come out through the Switch (Wii U gamepad). The thing is, you need a PC that can run games and a fast enough internet connection for this to work. Sony does something similar with the PS4 and the Vita, it's the closest comparison.

Honestly I can't see how Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft will allow this. It potentially could seriously dig into their profits.

Plus I'm sure this will be unsuitable for fast paced action games due to the streaming delay potential.

Well... let's wait for next news.

This will never happen on Switch. Ninty will never approve. I feel for Nindies, what's the point in optimising a game for the Switch with specific controls etc if you can stream from PC. To be honest I'm not sure if this is actually a good idea. I'm torn

Just a little bit of lag and you can't play.
I have some doubt as to if this will work.

I'm not as skeptical as I once was now I've seen Nintendo green light cross-platform play for both Minecraft and Rocket League.

This sort of thing will slightly broaden the demographic and I don't really see any software revenue loss realistically.

@Mopati The Vita/PS4 works pretty well. I managed a chunk of my Just Cause 3 and Odin Sphere playthoughs using this.

It's not the best option for brawlers etc but works fine for causal play in most genres.

I don't see why Nintendo wouldn't allow this... there's no legal issues with it like the other things they've opposed and it would in a way increase the Switch's software library, which they'd probably be happy about.
There would be a slight issue with games available for both PC and Switch, but playing those games through this app wouldn't be optimal, so I doubt they'd have issue with it.
Quality and security would be the only reasons I can think of for Nintendo to possibly oppose it... poor quality would make it unappealing in general, and poor security would just need to be patched to deal with it.

While it's a very cool function to have, I like others have mentioned, I worry about how this could affect the release and sales of games. I don't have a gaming PC, so I won't be using it either way, but it's still a bit of a grey area.

This is what OnLive could had been back in 2010 but that company completely refused to support consoles only catering to PC and mobile. Hopefully this newer streaming service works out great. A Netflix style service for gaming has always been something I want to see for consoles. Now just because I want this for consoles doesn't necessarily mean I want it to be the main focus. Buying physical games should always be the main meat product of gaming, digital and stream should only be the icing on the side.

@DragonEleven Emulation, for starters. You allow this, and suddently everyone has free access to whatever you put on Virtual Console (on Dolphin, even). Then there's the whole indies thing @beazlen1 mentioned.

I can't see this working out for Nintendo, but we'll see.

@MarcelRguez Ah OK... Well, I don't see this workingwith Nintendo then

Seems like you must own the games on your PC. So this may incline PC games to buy Switch consoles to be able to play their PC games away from the desk. I think Nintendo could support that.

Personally, I have no PC games or gaming PC so I'll keep my gaming $$ flowing to Ninty regardless.

I don't see much of a problem here either.
Sales shouldn't be affected much, many Switch games aren't on PC anyways and even if they are, would you really buy it for PC while worrying over input lag just to then stream it to a Switch. Instead of just buying it directly for Switch?

On the other hand, as long as you have good connection, you can play your PC games anywhere. This raises the value of the Switch itself.

@MarcelRguez Emulators are a pre-existing issue separate from Rainway, so if Nintendo were to take action against them, then they would do so separately... and beyond that it still comes back to the optimisation aspect I mentioned before.

@Grawlog Virtual Console, though.

@DragonEleven But that's the thing, I can't see Nintendo allowing Switch support on Rainway in the first place. The Rainway guys have two routes: either they get Nintendo's blessing (can't see that happening) or, as Damien mentions, they use the browser as a "back-door" of sorts. If they choose the second option, this becomes a cat-and-mouse game of Nintendo patching support out of the browser again and again, just like it happened with Wii U/3DS exploit sites.

Besides that, I don't think you need much 'optimization' at all to play something like Pokémon Red on your GameBoy emulator of choice.

Another reveal that could only make the switch more valuable

I call scam! Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will never allow this!
Their main income doesn't come from console sales, but from game sales on their platforms.
So unless they make some kind of Spotify like deal, where Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo get royalty pay-out per stream to their platform.... I just don't see this happening.
Especially since both Microsoft and Sony are working on their own game streaming services!

@Grawlog That's a good point, but I'd argue there's extra insult in playing a pirated game on Nintendo's new hardware.

Not expecting much. Game streaming is too resource-intensive. Could never get PS4/Vita remote play to work well.

My Steam collection is a mix of indies and low spec games, I suspect I'd get great use of this. Football Manager springs to mind right away

@MarcelRguez I think you misunderstood what was meant about using the web browser... it's not a back door for getting the app onto the Switch... it's an additional hurdle that will need to be dealt with in order to get the app to work, due to the fact that Nintendo are keeping it hidden.
Nintendo could support the app in general, but not allow them to use the web browser.

@Grawlog What about less tech-savvy people? I'm assuming setting this up will be much easier than softmodding the system. It might also have a wider audience too if sites like NintendoLife decide to make step-by-step articles about it.

@DragonEleven Oh, right. I completely misinterpreted that, my bad.

This is very unlikely to happen with a 3rd party company like this, but when the partnership between Nintendo and Nvidia was announced I thought.. GeForce now would / could be an offering in the future or if the switch Wiiu'd.

@FX102A I think Nintendo should allow this. May be not Sony or Microsoft, but Nintendo yes. They get shunned by alot of third part companies, and as a Switch owner, who might want to play SF5 on your switch, but can not because it is not on your switch, or Call of Duty, now you can. It not like any 1st party Nintendo game will come out on PC anyway.

@BornInNorway81 yeah will be interesting but the nvidia android box can do it

I don't see this a threat to Nintendo's business. First of all, it requires a strong internet connection which means streamed PCs games will primarily be streamed when gamers are at home or a spot with a WiFi connection. Also your PC still has to be on when you connect to the net with the Switch in order to play PC games. Too many moving parts.

The same games sold in the Eshop will have more value because of their versatility and non-reliance on a strong internet connection to play them anywhere.

@MarcelRguez " Sony does something similar with the PS4 and the Vita, it's the closest comparison."

That.......really doesn't help inspire confidence here......

News from a recently bumped GAF thread haha. That Nintendo Life life!

This could seriously expand the appeal of the Switch. Nintendo should approve this pronto.

This is so awesome!
This one App alone could make buying the Switch worth it. With that option available, why would anyone want to use Rainway with their Android or iOS device (which both have no built-in Gamepad)?

Not only should Nintendo alloe this app ob the Switch, they should even directly incorporate it into the Switch's system. It should be a default feature of the Switch. Because this truly is a killer feature!

The app should support local streaming, not just via the internet.

@BornInNorway81 Works well enough with Steam's streaming, though I wouldn't want to try 1080p+ on wifi. I've played Mortal Kombat 9 fairly extensively using Steam's streaming to both a tablet at 720p and a Steam Link over ethernet at 1080p.

Well I was planning to play Final Fantasy 14 using this on Switch so I could play with my son. By the time it comes out my son will be done with Final Fantasy 14 **sadface** he told me yesterday when he was done with Storm blood he is done with it.

@SanderEvers Yeah, but the Switch's wifi is so weak that I'm seeing 1-2 bars where I'm in the same room with my router and other devices are full bars. I just wouldn't trust the Switch with trying to stream 1080p on wifi.

Well, it still needs players to be online, but this means more games on Switch, technically.
This is a huge barrier out of the way; now with cross-play between Switch and Xbox One coming, we're entering a new era.