Why is a console as a PC component still not a thing? I know it sounds stupid

A friend of mine was playing Tears of the Kingdom in 4k and it ran really well (maybe 60fps) when I saw him playing it on his PC, and it wasn't out yet. I've always wanted to do that, but don't feel like sailing the high seas.
 
Why an addon? You can emulate Switch and Switch 2 with a good Pc.

You dont need to buy anything. A good CPU and GPU and you can play al Nintendo games on your PC.
 
What is the point? A screenless switch would accomplish the same thing and not be tied down to another device. You think Nintendo wants to troubleshoot your PC to figure out if it's the switch malfunctioning vs the PC? Not a chance.
 
Save money?!? Lol

Nah, ya save money with PC over time with the software, and it's not even remotely close.
how come? explain?
Pc is thousands of $ and games.. are like 10$ cheaper than on ps5?
and on ps4/5 I get to own my games on disc.

I know. I have 600 steam games lol.
 
how come? explain?
Pc is thousands of $ and games.. are like 10$ cheaper than on ps5?
and on ps4/5 I get to own my games on disc.

I know. I have 600 steam games lol.
I have over 2000 games on Steam alone and hundreds on GoG and then hundreds on itch.io, so I may be somewhat informed as well, and I know that you know all these points, but I'll humor you anyway.

Key resellers, VASTLY cheaper than standard platform prices, typically speaking at least.

Key bundle websites, like Humble, Fanatical, and the like, allowing you purchase sometimes upwards of ten games for less than the price of one near launch.

Ubiquity of cheap keys on key trading sites due to market saturation from said sites like Humble given almost everyone who utilizes these services end up with tons of keys that they don't necessarily need, so it's trivial to shift keys you don't want for keys you do

Steam sales, though not what they once were, are still far, far more frequent than other platform sales and feature far better discounts.

Platforms like Epic, (I don't use it but it's an option), that give out obnoxious amounts of free games.

GoG, which has some of the best sales I've ever seen, and you actually own the software you purchase there as well. They also give out free games frequently through email.

Did I miss anything folks?

EDIT: Shit, forgot to mention free online, so you're saving on that every month as well.
 
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I have over 2000 games on Steam alone and hundreds on GoG and then hundreds on itch.io, so I may be somewhat informed as well, and I know that you know all these points, but I'll humor you anyway.

Key resellers, VASTLY cheaper than standard platform prices, typically speaking at least.

Key bundle websites, like Humble, Fanatical, and the like, allowing you purchase sometimes upwards of ten games for less than the price of one near launch.

Ubiquity of cheap keys on key trading sites due to market saturation from said sites like Humble given almost everyone who utilizes these services end up with tons of keys that they don't necessarily need, so it's trivial to shift keys you don't want for keys you do

Steam sales, though not what they once were, are still far, far more frequent than other platform sales and feature far better discounts.

Platforms like Epic, (I don't use it but it's an option), that give out obnoxious amounts of free games.

GoG, which has some of the best sales I've ever seen, and you actually own the software you purchase there as well. They also give out free games frequently through email.

Did I miss anything folks?

EDIT: Shit, forgot to mention free online, so you're saving on that every month as well.
but psn store got sales going ALL THE TIME.
And buying used games or physical games is like key resellers. Gives you choice outside of shitty psn.

And yes, I also buy from cdkeys on pc
 
Why not just hook your game console up to the same monitor? Or just get a 32:9 monitor and use the picture-by-picture mode (that's what I do).

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Closest you would get is installing a PCI-E Capture card and have it connected to the console.
3do and sega tried it and it didn't work out so well because why not just buy the console? lol
3DO did have the Creative 3DO Interactive Blaster which was a console on a ISA card. Sega did allow Nvidia to use their Saturn controller ports on their NV1 accelerator and did port some of the games for the card, but it wasn't a Sega Saturn and could not run any retail Saturn games. Both of these predated Windows 95 and DirectX, and were an effort to bring 3D games to their PC platform which was still in it's DOS era.

The SGI Indy did have an option to install an N64 daughtercard to run software within the IRIX operating system, but this was intended for game development. The PlayStation PSY-Q was also a similar concept.
 
It'a for the pwoplw who do have it. Others could just buy the console. Not like that wouls be going away.
But what does it give you that just having a Switch connected to the same monitor and switching inputs not give you?

There's be no point for the XBOX or PlayStation as everything is making its way over to the PC already.

You're a PC gaming with a desktop, you are the most niche audience already. The majority of PCs are laptops with mini PCs starting to make in roads. This wouldn't be some magic Switch on a PCIe card that's $50, this is Nintendo and would be a very low volume product. You're looking at, at least $199 if not more. You can get complete with Joycon and dock used Switches for under $150. And then you don't need to have your PC running when accessing a game. Want access to Discord or whatever to chat with people while play? Have it on your second monitor, you wouldn't do that anyways with your special card? This is really about streaming? Get an HDMI splitter and cheap USB video capture device.
 
I mean they could release the games on PC + launcher and have all their stuff on like Denuvo (barf) to protect their IP's. But I can't see them doing that anytime soon.

That would kind of dilute their brand and shy people away from their ecosystem considering there are way more competitive platforms on PC, like Steam and EGS.

A hardware addon would be dumb and nonsensical.
 
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But what does it give you that just having a Switch connected to the same monitor and switching inputs not give you?
Multitasking and a seamless experience.

Example

I dont want to get a discord notification and have to change the source on my monitor, put down the controller, grab keyboard and mouse to answer, grab the controller again, change the source again start playing the game, ding ding, oh someone replied, repeat. And of course not even knowing what it was because that source on my monitor will not display the discord notifications.

Also having hardware sitting around taling up space, having to turn it on and off manually and having to select the games or browse the shop with it's dedicated input method every single time.

Remember when we had to turn on our monitors? Yeah those times are gone and no one wants them back. We want to press one button and have our entire setup ready to go as we please.

I want to take screenshots of whatever part of the screen i and not have to do the entire screem and then not even having access to that screenshot on my pc immediately.

And also just no to desktop users being the biggest niche. Laptops are more popular sure but there are certainly more people playing on desktops than on any console.. what an insane thing to say
 
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did they? i didnt know that, so it is possible?

as for why not just buying the console, well i dont really wanna play on my tv and certainly not in handheld mode, and i dont want to be connecting it to my pc or doing stuff manually all the time.

Either way different times. I think in 2025 there would be plenty of people who would buy this but dont wanna buy the console.

Because you'd effectively be buying a console anyway, at the price it'd cost. The only benefit by then being, you're passing the video output to a monitor instead of a television.

Like those older systems like the TeraDrive, you'd still have to use stock controllers (Joy Cons in Switch's case), still have to use its storefront and OS to interface with anything, and so on.
Plus, would it really be a "PC" thing, or just a Windows thing? What about non-Windows users?

Saves a ton of manual work every single time you want to use it and even while using it, if i want to browse something quick, i want to minimize the game, i dont want to unplug something and plug in something else for that.

Would still be. You'd just be increasing the amount of people willing to join your walled garden.

In theory. In practice, the gains are never linear and can come at the cost of your current install base.

Game Pass was already available on 1+ billion devices before Apple and Google started facing regulatory pressure to open up, and yet only managed 25 million subscribers across those 1+ billion devices. A Nintendo or PlayStation device as you're describing would have more demand, but it'd also create more lateral cannibalization in the hardware ecosystem. Many dual console/PC PS owners, for example, would just simply buy the PS peripheral interfacing to a PC.

If SIE would still retain control of storefront for the peripheral, that wouldn't risk 3P sales revenue bleed (by default), but it'd mean more users in the ecosystem using a device dependent on another company's OS and APIs to function properly. So, if any bullshit happens with Windows, that PlayStation peripheral would directly suffer in performance/stability as a result, no matter how good SIE's tools are on their own end.

Same applies to Nintendo, and such would compromise the user experience. This doesn't even get into the issue of piracy.

I'm not sure what you are going on about OP.
Buy Switch hardware, and plug it into your monitor. Buy Switch PC hardware, open your machine and install it. What exactly is the point? If anything it is more work to get the same result.
If all you wanna do is be able to operate windows while gaming without having to press a button and switch inputs, then... just get a capture card? Then you can play the game via OBS or something.

I think they want a Switch device for Windows that offers the "potential" for easily integrating mods and performance boosts from the PC it's interfaced with, but running official Switch games & carts?

IDK; the proposition makes no sense, especially with how easy it'd be to jailbreak and pirate software on the thing, like HRK69 HRK69 was mentioning. At which point Nintendo suddenly have to deal with significantly less software sales and big chunks of would-be Switch system purchasers buying the official, but now jailbroken, Switch interface peripheral for Windows which is a breeding ground for piracy.

It'd be the death of their business. There's a reason they don't support Windows with peripherals or software ports, not hard to understand.

Another day at GAF with an impossible take. How do you think an industry works?

Clown Clowning Around GIF by Sarah Squirm



So you are saying:
  • ''Hey Nintendo, please stop marketing innovative solutions and go be an exclusive OEM for the PC market by putting your hardware on a PCIe card.'' Hybrid console/handheld be damned!
  • ''Hey Microsoft! If this is real, then the Switch PCIe is also a Xbox! I can use GamePass on this thing, right Microsoft?''
  • ''Hey Sony, get with the times! Whilst you are losing dimes with your Poooortal device and your VR experience, we could have both Microsoft and Nintendo games on the same platform. How about you get some exclusive out of the way huh!''
Brace Yourself Here We Go GIF by MOODMAN



You are telling Nintendo to kill its entire concept and strategy and you are asking why this can't exist.

Mtv Wtf GIF by Jersey Shore Family Vacation


Why can't we have robot-vaccuums when you could also just play Doom (Somewhat) on them?

You are missing marketing philosophy. But hey, the 3DO worked out well back in the day! Oh wait...

Clown Clowning Around GIF by Sarah Squirm



<Big market
<If i ask all my friends

Jake Gyllenhaal No GIF

I think some people just play games as a timewaster, but don't actually have a passion for the hobby. Because if they did, they'd try understanding why parts of the industry work they way they do, and have since the early '80s.

And that if you tried to undermine or dismantle them, all the things which support the development of titles they claim to enjoy would disappear, leading to the end of those games getting made too. Then you'd have a dead hobby but, hey, some of these people would just drift on to another timewaster, if that's how they view stuff like gaming :/
 
Multitasking and a seamless experience.

Example

I dont want to get a discord notification and have to change the source on my monitor, put down the controller, grab keyboard and mouse to answer, grab the controller again, change the source again start playing the game, ding ding, oh someone replied, repeat. And of course not even knowing what it was because that source on my monitor will not display the discord notifications.

Also having hardware sitting around taling up space, having to turn it on and off manually and having to select the games or browse the shop with it's dedicated input method every single time.

Remember when we had to turn on our monitors? Yeah those times are gone and no one wants them back. We want to press one button and have our entire setup ready to go as we please.

I want to take screenshots of whatever part of the screen i and not have to do the entire screem and then not even having access to that screenshot on my pc immediately.

And also just no to desktop users being the biggest niche. Laptops are more popular sure but there are certainly more people playing on desktops than on any console.. what an insane thing to say

OK but you do realize you're ironically asking for all this consolidation to a very specific OS in Windows, correct? Which is its own sort of walled garden, in that only Microsoft own the patents to the OS, its APIs, and the kernel. They're the only ones who can officially develop new versions, provide critical support to current/older versions, and push out low-level kernel & OS updates.

It's just kinda funny you are asking for this to seemingly consolidate isolated closed ecosystems into what you think is an open platform/ecosystem, when the OS facilitating all of this is closed-source and owned by a single corporate entity.

As for your example, if it's as simple of things like Discord support....wouldn't a Switch/Switch 2 with integrated Discord chat solve that problem anyway? Heck, it already has mouse controls with the new Joy Cons! I'm sure you can hook up a generic USB keyboard too (you could do this with systems as old as the PS3) to type if you don't want to use the screen keyboard.

In fact, EVERYTHING you're asking for could simply be accomplished at the QOL & UI feature level of the Switch 2 if Nintendo were interested, or SIE for that matter with PlayStation, including server-side applications linking your screenshots taken on the console to an app on the Windows side immediately there with your account through that app. So there's really no need for the type of product you are asking for, with the way technology is today.

Maybe back when stuff like the TeraDrive was attempted there was a need to an extent, because the internet wasn't really a thing yet and technologies were massively divergent from each other for even most basic things. Many standards we have today weren't even established or widely adopted back in the '80s and '90s. The only reason you'd want what you're asking for is because you prefer PC and specifically prefer Windows, and would want to consolidate all your activity there.

Which, fine. You can want that. But there are no real market conditions which would facilitate even a 1% need for it to happen anytime within the next 10-20 years. Plus, like I just said, there are alternative approaches Nintendo and SIE could implement that bring that type of synchronization & access, while still retaining their own hardware, OS, APIs etc. without weakening the value proposition of their own hardware.
 
I think they want a Switch device for Windows that offers the "potential" for easily integrating mods and performance boosts from the PC it's interfaced with, but running official Switch games & carts?
No. it would literally be just a switch. games would be running on a literal switch and have the same shitty performance/graphics regardless of what pc you have.

I already explained multiple times why it is totally different than just plugging in your switch to the monitor.
 
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Man PC gamers are hardcore, we dont want any of them Nintendo Bitch games, were about the hardcore FPS, pile them farts into our chair while we get good at Counter Strike every moment we can, no time for running up on that slut Princess game, goofing about as an ape in a kart. Sony understand this thats why Astro boy hasnt been put on PC yet 💪.
 
Issue n°1 was always that the software was not there.

Issue n°2 is that no one is going to make the software if the closed garden model of console makers is more profitable.
 
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Does anyone remember the Pioneer Laseractive? This was a laserdisc player made by Pioneer, but it also had the ability to insert various 'modules' from Sega, NEC, karaoke and module to run Laser Disc arcade games.

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There was also the NUON as well. But the NUON was a little different as it was hardware that could be licensed to put into various DVD players.
 
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Can be thousands

Or it can be hundreds
Can be good or can be bad.
Doesn't change that midrange gpus nowdays are like 5070 is 550$ and 5070ti is 750$.... and that's only msrp. And where is 5080? even that's not high end...

IMO pc gaming is great if you invest into it. Otherwise it's pain and misery. if you want to be better than console, you will be but it costs.
 
Multitasking and a seamless experience.

Example

I dont want to get a discord notification and have to change the source on my monitor, put down the controller, grab keyboard and mouse to answer, grab the controller again, change the source again start playing the game, ding ding, oh someone replied, repeat. And of course not even knowing what it was because that source on my monitor will not display the discord notifications.

Also having hardware sitting around taling up space, having to turn it on and off manually and having to select the games or browse the shop with it's dedicated input method every single time.

Remember when we had to turn on our monitors? Yeah those times are gone and no one wants them back. We want to press one button and have our entire setup ready to go as we please.

I want to take screenshots of whatever part of the screen i and not have to do the entire screem and then not even having access to that screenshot on my pc immediately.

And also just no to desktop users being the biggest niche. Laptops are more popular sure but there are certainly more people playing on desktops than on any console.. what an insane thing to say
How do you solve this when playing a full screen PC game? You aren't switching the source but you still need to alt/tab out. This is easily solved with a second monitor. When you are playing with the Switch you're on a gamepad, you have immediate access to the keyboard if necessary, just view the Discord notification popup start typing to respond. Or do you not have a dedicated Discord monitor running in Portrait?

Modern monitors can handle CEC commands. Pickup the Switch controller, turn it on and it wakes the Switch and changes the input. Done with the Switch? Put it to sleep and the monitor reverts back to the PC input. I know it's so incredibly difficult and hard and such a hassle to deal with.

The steaming suggest would support the screenshot stuff if you really need it. I'm unclear on why you want to pause the game to define a region of the screen versus just grabbing the whole thing immediately and then cropping.

Nintendo just sold 3 million consoles in a single day. If NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel were anywhere near close to those numbers since the start of the year you might be able to walk into a store and buy a new GPU at MSRP. But seeing how they appear to be paper launches, TecToy might have sold more Sega Master Systems in Brazil this year than new generations video cards. Are you thinking the people who fished a 15 year old office PC from eWaste to play CS 1.6 and LoL at 360p are the audience Nintendo should be targeting?
 
Can be good or can be bad.
Doesn't change that midrange gpus nowdays are like 5070 is 550$ and 5070ti is 750$.... and that's only msrp. And where is 5080? even that's not high end...

IMO pc gaming is great if you invest into it. Otherwise it's pain and misery. if you want to be better than console, you will be but it costs.
The PS5 Pro's GPU is roughly a 7700XT or 4060ti.

If you look at total cost a PS5 Pro is $700, but at least $80 per year to play multiplayer. If you were to squeeze five years out of it, that's $1,100 which gets you a PC with a 5070 if you can get one for MSRP, I'm seeing $580 for them at Microcenter right now. So you get better, and have access to all the free games on PC and come out ahead. Sure you can go wild with a 5080 or 5090, but you don't have to. I just helped a friend put together an all new parts 7600X, 5060ti 16GB build last week for $960, an upgrade to a 5070 would have fit in the $1,100 budget without issue.
 
I have a second monitor. It's not a dedicated discord monitor. Im not gonna stop watching stuff on it in order to have discord open on it at all times zo use it occasionally.
The steaming suggest would support the screenshot stuff if you really need it. I'm unclear on why you want to pause the game to define a region of the screen versus just grabbing the whole thing immediately and then cropping.
yes i wonder why i would want to press win+shift+s and select a part of the screen over screenshotting it all, pause the game, open a program to crop it and save it then delete it. Oh and of course immediately go empty the recycle bin because who wants tp have stuff in their recycle bin.
 
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The PS5 Pro's GPU is roughly a 7700XT or 4060ti.

If you look at total cost a PS5 Pro is $700, but at least $80 per year to play multiplayer. If you were to squeeze five years out of it, that's $1,100 which gets you a PC with a 5070 if you can get one for MSRP, I'm seeing $580 for them at Microcenter right now. So you get better, and have access to all the free games on PC and come out ahead. Sure you can go wild with a 5080 or 5090, but you don't have to. I just helped a friend put together an all new parts 7600X, 5060ti 16GB build last week for $960, an upgrade to a 5070 would have fit in the $1,100 budget without issue.
No it's not. Df said it's like 4070.
And building sub 1000$ pc is a nightmare and I don't want this conversation.
Besides- I've got money to buy best pc in the world and I won't. I prefer to play my games years earlier without stuttering and headaches.
You have to understand that some people like to play on console even if pc experience is technically better because they just don't care and like playing on console.
 
Why not just hook your game console up to the same monitor? Or just get a 32:9 monitor and use the picture-by-picture mode (that's what I do).

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man, i hope one day consoles ll support other aspect ratios... its just sad to have to play with black bars on ultra-wide screens.
 
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