GENKI ShadowCast Kickstarter: Stream Switch (+ any HDMI input) to your computer, $35/39

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...qBdeIWYP0LCMhq5md5-uI5MHUMaj_08_-NXDe3YvqnkFc

ShadowCast is the simplest way to play console games on your computer. TVs aren't always convenient so we made a way to take console gaming with you wherever you are without the need of an internet connection.

This team did an awesome job with the Genki Audio and Convert dock. I didn't jump in on those, but this is just cheap enough to be in impulse buy territory for me– super cheap compared to traditional capture cards! My 16 inch MBP is just big enough to provide a big enough alternate display for my Switch when Tabletop isn't enough for split screen.

It can also be used to turn any camera with HDMI out into an HD webcam! More at the link above.

The one feature I'd like to see in covid-times is the ability to bring in a friend for splitscreen gameplay while streaming. It'd be a great bandaid for the Switch's general lackluster online options.

I'll update this OP with further specs later, but for now check the kickstarter page!

Rocketjay · Dec 22, 2020

OOOh this would go very well with people who want to play Parsec with other people on switch without buying those expensive capture cards.

Huntersknoll · Dec 22, 2020

Well this seems amazing. Just backed it. Hopefully they can pull it off.

LukeOP · Dec 22, 2020

How good is the input lag? I've played consoles and even switch with an elgato hd and the input lag felt nearly half a second.

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

They also seem to shadow-dropped a new smaller Bluetooth Audio receiver, available in bundles for this kickstarter.

Genki Audio Lite - PS5 Compatible

Brings wireless Bluetooth™ audio to your PS5™ and other consoles. Genki Audio is a slim adapter equipped with high fidelity Qualcomm low-latency codecs Compatible with Nintendo Switch™, Nintendo Switch Lite™, Sony PlayStation™ 4/5, Laptop, iPad™, Android™

www.genkithings.com

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

LukeOP said:
How good is the input lag? I've played consoles and even switch with an elgato hd and the input lag felt nearly half a second.

I'll update this OP with further specs later, but for now check the kickstarter page! It has those details + more and is pretty concise.

J-Skee · Dec 22, 2020

What a great Remote Play replacement for my PS5. Backed.

dabri · Dec 22, 2020

Does the controller still need to be in close distance to the console?

SpartyCrunch · Dec 22, 2020

I love my Genki stealth dock. Such an awesome device.
I tried the genki audio but it had pretty bad audio latency since I have cheap Bluetooth headphones without the low latency codec. Might try the new audio sometime.

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

dabri said:
Does the controller still need to be in close distance to the console?

Yep looks like it.

Alvis · Dec 22, 2020

The fact that it only does 1080p 30 FPS or 720p 60 FPS is 100% a deal breaker. I wish it did 1080p 60 FPS. :/

patientx · Dec 22, 2020

Well... Doesn't it seem so similar to those $15 no name hdmi capture devices that connects via usb 2.0 and works very well with nintendo switch too ? And it is also 1080p 30 fps - 720p 60fps

In fact just tried it with witcher 3 @ 720p60 after hearing about this ...

Twitch

Twitch is the world's leading video platform and community for gamers.

www.twitch.tv

Alvis · Dec 22, 2020

patientx said:
Well... Doesn't it seem so similar to those $15 no name hdmi capture devices that connects via usb 2.0 and works very well with nintendo switch too ? And it is also 1080p 30 fps - 720p 60fps

In fact just tried it with witcher 3 @ 720p60 after hearing about this ...

Yeah no 1080p 60 FPS is super lame. I see no point in this existing if it can't even do that.

Polk · Dec 22, 2020

LukeOP said:
How good is the input lag? I've played consoles and even switch with an elgato hd and the input lag felt nearly half a second.

In one of the screenshots " TV vs. ShadowCast - HDMI splitter shows a 0-0.02s difference in Smash Bros. "

Deleted member 8468 · Dec 22, 2020

This is really cool. Shame it doesn't support iPad, sounds like iPadOS lacks functionality for it. Still very cool!

hunnies28 · Dec 22, 2020

Well this seems useful to me for when I travel with my switch. I've never backed things before. Do I input my shipping address after the project has been completely backed?

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

patientx said:
Well... Doesn't it seem so similar to those $15 no name hdmi capture devices that connects via usb 2.0 and works very well with nintendo switch too ? And it is also 1080p 30 fps - 720p 60fps

In fact just tried it with witcher 3 @ 720p60 after hearing about this ...

Someone asked that in the comments and they replied with the following:

Hey Mike - I can't speak for other cards but it seems like we're half the size and designed it to be a console accessory and not a computer accessory. A lot our design considerations were making something that doesn't block more than one port on MacBooks which many have notoriously few ports that are spaced too close together.

Personally, I backed since this is at an impulse-buy price for me + gave me the ability to finally hop in on the stealth dock with a decent discount.

EmmaDansTonU · Dec 22, 2020

It seems great but I don't have usb-c on my pc.

The Real Napsta · Dec 22, 2020

I wonder how laggy this will be.

inner-G · Dec 22, 2020

Wow I could plug my 3080 rig into it and use my 5K iMac screen as a monitor? Lol

I bet it tops out at 1080p or something, though.

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

inner-G said:
Wow I could plug my 3080 rig into it and use my 5K iMac screen as a monitor? Lol

I bet it tops out at 1080p or something, though.

USB-C output transfers to computer at 1920x1080 @ 30fps and 1280x720 @ 60fps

Bigkrev · Dec 22, 2020

Wait, is this USB C only to connect to PC? I backed assuming it was USB-C to USB 2.0/3.0, I need to cancel my pledge if it's USB C only, my computer is from 2014 so it doesn't have USB C

Jahranimo · Dec 22, 2020

In my head this sounds really dope, but I'll need to read up on it more later tonight.

totofogo · Dec 22, 2020

Bigkrev said:
Wait, is this USB C only to connect to PC? I backed assuming it was USB-C to USB 2.0/3.0, I need to cancel my pledge if it's USB C only, my computer is from 2014 so it doesn't have USB C

You should be fine with a USB-C to A adapter, or a USB-C to A cable in place of the provided one. But, keep an eye on the comments for official word.

dom · Dec 23, 2020

Honestly, it just seems like.

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£11 - 1080p 30FPS

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£10 or even less., this blows my mind, I was watching this video and decided to take the plunge and I'm actually impressed. I picked up one, being super wary - but at £11 it was worth a punt, I needed it for meetings with my Fuji camera and was...

www.resetera.com

Also, wtf is with that product placement in the ad. We have ads in ads.

ZeroDS · Dec 23, 2020

Backed their covert dock and it came and didn't work and it was such a hassle trying to get a new unit from them I gave up.

Liked their wireless headphone add on but really soured on them withthe dock. Won't be back this

F34R · Dec 23, 2020

I backed it. Everything I've backed and/or bought from them has been perfect.

xir · Dec 27, 2020

What makes this different from a capture device?

Chettlar · Dec 27, 2020

I've wanted something like this forever. I cannot afford to get a capture device for just some casual streaming, and this looks like it'd let me.

I guess Genki seems pretty reliable?

Chettlar · Dec 27, 2020

domthybomb said:
Honestly, it just seems like this with a wireless transmitter.

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£11 - 1080p 30FPS

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£10 or even less., this blows my mind, I was watching this video and decided to take the plunge and I'm actually impressed. I picked up one, being super wary - but at £11 it was worth a punt, I needed it for meetings with my Fuji camera and was...

www.resetera.com

Also, wtf is with that product placement in the ad. We have ads in ads.

Er where are you seeing wireless transmitter?

Skyfireblaze · Dec 27, 2020

Honestly this might be the first Kickstarter I back if only for the ability to stream from the Switch easily. But if I get this right I would have to get a HDMI splitter if I don't want to be permanently reliant on the USB-C connection, especially since it would limit me to 1080p 30fps across the board right? Or is that limit only for recording and not for the passthrough? Also if I back this, when will I be charged, immediately or when my Shadowcast gets shipped?

Oh and the people making this are ridiculously sympathetic! :D

wild_one · Dec 27, 2020

Took a look at this, and a hard no is it for me. Limitation of 1080p@30fps or 720p@60fps over a USB 2.0 type C cable? I can wait for a more robust solution that actually handles more, though it'll also be much more expensive I imagine. A simpler solution might be to take the HDMI output, wrap it up in DisplayPort, and send it over USB-C DP Alt Mode to a receiver on the PC side.

Deleted member 420 · Dec 27, 2020

Chettlar said:
I've wanted something like this forever. I cannot afford to get a capture device for just some casual streaming, and this looks like it'd let me.

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£11 - 1080p 30FPS

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£10 or even less., this blows my mind, I was watching this video and decided to take the plunge and I'm actually impressed. I picked up one, being super wary - but at £11 it was worth a punt, I needed it for meetings with my Fuji camera and was...

www.resetera.com

I use these for streaming and they look great

Chettlar · Dec 27, 2020

robotrock said:
You can now buy a capture card for $15/£11 - 1080p 30FPS

You can now buy a capture card for $15/£10 or even less., this blows my mind, I was watching this video and decided to take the plunge and I'm actually impressed. I picked up one, being super wary - but at £11 it was worth a punt, I needed it for meetings with my Fuji camera and was...

www.resetera.com

I use these for streaming and they look great

Which do you prefer, 1080p30 or 720p60.

Deleted member 420 · Dec 27, 2020

Chettlar said:
Which do you prefer, 1080p30 or 720p60.

I keep it at 720/30 most of the time honestly, but I do bring it out to 720/60 if I'm playing a 60fps game. on twitch you kinda want to put out a lower bitrate stream so people with not great internet can watch, i feel, so I don't mind 720.

Zen Hero · Dec 28, 2020

That is really cool, I remember wanting something like that back before I got a monitor. Now I have a monitor so I don't really need this, but hopefully it helps out some other people!

Aeana · Dec 28, 2020

Cool idea, but 1080p/30 is a dealbreaker.

cyrix · Dec 28, 2020

1080/30 or 720/60 is a real bummer, considering the pitch it really seems like they built it as a switch accessory and for that specific console those numbers make some sense i guess, but man... if they could double the price and get 1080/60 it would be the new best value cap card out there. as it is though its a bit silly of them to call out the avermedia and elgato which both do 1080/60. genki software looks good though!

dom · Dec 28, 2020

Chettlar said:
Er where are you seeing wireless transmitter?

Wow, it doesn't. Was kinda half asleep at the time and also was thinking about all the devices/apps with Cast in their name on phones that let you wireless stream to a TV.
This makes it even worse. No doubt it's just a repurposed one of those cheap capture cards. Knowing that and the Shake Shack product placement, I would stay away.

Tagg · Dec 28, 2020

Yeah they really needed to make this 1080p60 for it to be worth a buy.

mogster7777 · Dec 28, 2020

Does this let me play switch games streaming on a MacBook ?

fulltimepanda · Dec 28, 2020

It looks like this aims to differentiate itself with the lower input latency. Which I gather those other units have a pretty rough time with.

I'd back this in an instant if this could do 1080p/60fps. Good price point and low latency. I like to play in front of my TV as much a I do in front of my desktop but my desktop setup at the moment isn't ideal for playing consoles on.

mhayze · Dec 28, 2020

Having dealt with a wide variety of capture cards in the past, I know what an annoyance they can be - there's a lot to be said for a hassle free solution that just works. Not saying this is it (haven't tried it), but I do know a lot of the no-name capture cards on Amazon require some deep investigation before buying, since a low price doesn't mean that it won't cause more frustration than fun.
Regarding lag, the quoted 0.02s = 20ms so slightly over 1 frame of lag at 60hz. At 30hz it's going to be worse, up to a little over 32ms, if those numbers are accurate. It's wise to focus on the gaming market, since that is a prime market for this type of device (along with 'streamers' who are still playing games quite often). So if this has a solid driver set and is mostly bug free, then it should be worth picking up. A word to the wise on Kickstarter, don't go into it expecting perfection - most kickstarters are riddled with issues, so if you feel like backing, make sure you are prepared to potentially deal with some frustration unless you get it post feedack from early backers who can validate all the features and funcationality.

It still annoys me to no end that most laptops (and desktop GPUs) have no working HDMI in hardware solution - this is something that ATI once did really well with their "All-in-wonder" line (bad name, good product), but has fallen by the wayside, probably because of the complexity in DRM and software solutions when adopted as a ubiquitous, platform level feature for the masses. This thread has me investigating what's out there that can do low lag 1080p60 capture in a compact package, even if it costs a little more.

L.O.R.D · Dec 30, 2020

how does this works?
like capture card?
do i need to install some software?

ShinNoNoir · Dec 30, 2020

L.O.R.D said:
how does this works?
like capture card?
do i need to install some software?

There will be software for this device, but it will also present itself as a webcam.

Bladelaw · Dec 30, 2020

L.O.R.D said:
how does this works?
like capture card?
do i need to install some software?

It's all in the video

Connect the shadowcast to the console via HDMI port on the console
Connect USB-C cable from Shadowcast to Computer
Use either their software or OBS (or any streaming/capture software that can pick up a capture device) to record or stream the game.

The biggest compromise here is the max quality of the capture tops out at 1080p/30 or 720p/60 which for the Switch is negligible. If you want to use this for PS5 or XSX to capture high quality video this isn't the device for you. But for streaming on a budget or Switch exclusively this thing is perfect.

If I didn't already have an HD60 I'd back this.

Philippo · Jan 9, 2021

Question: hypothetically, coud I also use this to connect a desktop PC (instead of a NSW or PS5) to a laptop and use that as monitor?

Kei- · Jan 9, 2021

Anyone know how this compares to Sysdvr? I currently use that homebrew solution, other than Sysdvr only being able to stream games that have a record function (which is most games at this point) and not being able to show the home menu. $35 is not bad at all, but just curious.

Subnats · Jan 9, 2021

Kei- said:
Anyone know how this compares to Sysdvr? I currently use that homebrew solution, other than Sysdvr only being able to stream games that have a record function (which is most games at this point) and not being able to show the home menu. $35 is not bad at all, but just curious.

The biggest benefits over Sysdvr as far as I can tell are better video quality, 60 fps (though only at 720p) and support for all Switch games. I'd assume input lag is probably better as well but it hasn't been much of a problem with Sysdvr in my experience anyway.

Philippo said:
Question: hypothetically, coud I also use this to connect a desktop PC (instead of a NSW or PS5) to a laptop and use that as monitor?

The kickstarter faq says it's compatible with all consoles with hdmi out so I can't see any reason that wouldn't apply to pcs as well.

Aostia82 · Jan 9, 2021

I would be more interested in a Chromcast like USB key to play the Switch on a random TV screen
Something like a portable dock

GENKI ShadowCast Kickstarter: Stream Switch (+ any HDMI input) to your computer, $35/39

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