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Switch Homebrew is now running Android (play native SHIELD games like Portal, Borderlands 2, MGS3; mobile ports like GTA SA + even stream Overwatch)

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vestan

vestan

#REFANTAZIO SWEEP
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Dec 28, 2017
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UPDATE: IT'S OUT!!!!

Get it over here:


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[Here's the original OP post]



D9Lf0aJWwAAelCo.jpg:large


This is honestly impressive considering this unofficial Android port already has support for audio, WiFi and GPU acceleration for games and apps like Google Chrome and video players. These means that certain games ported to the Shield like Half Life 2, Portal and Borderlands are already playable. In fact, Portal has already been confirmed to work natively with no fancy configs or doodads, here it is in action




Normal Android games like PUBG Mobile or Honkai Impact 3 will work perfectly. This isn't even mentioning the various different Rockstar console games ported to Android like Bully, GTA III, VC and SA that I'm excited to get my hands on. These breakthroughs have also opened up the massive world of game streaming.



Yes, that's actually Overwatch running through NVIDIA Gamestream. What's cool about this is that it's not even Moonlight or anything, it's the official NVIDIA solution done using "Shieldifier" effectively tricking the NVIDIA apps into thinking your Switch is actually a SHIELD TV. This lets you run native SHIELD TV games like MGS3 if you wanted to. You can also play your Steam games on your Switch through the Steam Link Android app if you don't have an NVIDIA card. GeForce NOW works too which opens the Switch up to hundreds of different games that'll probably never be ported to the system. See Tomb Raider 2013 running.



What else does this mean? i'm copy+pasting this bit from wololo since it's pretty succinct
  • An Android experience that is much smoother and compatible with many more applications
  • The ability to play Android games on the Switch such as PUBG Mobile, Shadowgun, Tekken Mobile and other titles Undoubtedly, the Switch would be able to run a lot of Android games pretty well thanks to its Nvidia Maxwell-based GPU
  • Turning your Switch into a better media consumption device since Android has much better applications than Horizon OS for doing such stuff
  • The DraStic emulator (DS) and other Android-exclusive software will become runnable on the Switch
No news on when ByLaws is releasing this but the wait shouldn't be too long. The floodgates are finally starting to open up folks. With news of Nintendo reportedly starting production on the Switch revision, maybe it's time to consider turning your old Switch to the little SoC beast it can be.
 
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Lump

Lump

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Oct 25, 2017
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The Switch gaining even half the functionality of a Shield TV would add ridiculous amounts of value to the device.
 
Hamster Plugin

Hamster Plugin

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Oct 25, 2017
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Also the Steam Link app is on Android. It replicates the Nvidia Gamestream functionality but also works with AMD cards.
 
CommodoreKong

CommodoreKong

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Oct 25, 2017
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Yeah when Nintendo announces the Switch revision I'm seriously considering buy it so I can do homebrew on my current Switch. I would love to have Steam Link on the Switch.
 
Lump

Lump

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Oct 25, 2017
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This is such a ridiculously good mod that it's arguable that it's worth it to get a second Switch to solely do this. Even if this mod resulted in a Switch never being able to play Switch games again or even go into Docked mode ever again (and I've seen no indication that either is true), this mod would still hold value as simply the most ideal portable Gamestream / Geforce Now device one can muster - besting Nvidia's own Shield Portable. This might be Mod of the Decade for anyone with a decent Gaming PC. And if you don't have an Nvidia card, you can still get by with Steam Link.

The concept of getting another Switch to do this and only this isn't out of the question.
 
OP
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vestan

vestan

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Dec 28, 2017
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Lump said:
This is such a ridiculously good mod that it's arguable that it's worth it to get a second Switch to solely do this. Even if this mod resulted in a Switch never being able to play Switch games again or even go into Docked mode ever again (and I've seen no indication that either is true), this mod would still hold value as simply the most ideal portable Gamestream / Geforce Now device one can muster - besting Nvidia's own Shield Portable. This might be Mod of the Decade for anyone with a decent Gaming PC. And if you don't have an Nvidia card, you can still get by with Steam Link.

The concept of getting another Switch to do this and only this isn't out of the question.
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Precisely. The amount of things on offer here is just crazy. I've been wanting to get rid of my SHIELD Portable for a while now and the Switch with a full Tegra Android port just might spur me to do that.
 
CommodoreKong

CommodoreKong

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Oct 25, 2017
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Lump said:
This is such a ridiculously good mod that it's arguable that it's worth it to get a second Switch to solely do this. Even if this mod resulted in a Switch never being able to play Switch games again or even go into Docked mode ever again (and I've seen no indication that either is true), this mod would still hold value as simply the most ideal portable Gamestream / Geforce Now device one can muster - besting Nvidia's own Shield Portable. This might be Mod of the Decade for anyone with a decent Gaming PC. And if you don't have an Nvidia card, you can still get by with Steam Link.

The concept of getting another Switch to do this and only this isn't out of the question.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I'm actually kinda annoyed we haven't seen any PCs with the Switch form factor yet. I would love a GPD Win or something similar with the Switch form factor. I think I saw a proof of concept of one once but as far as I know it was never released.
 
out_of_touch

out_of_touch

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Oct 25, 2017
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This is fucking awesome. This reminds me of those rumors of NX having Android support lol. Which OS will be better for emulation on Switch? Ubuntu, Android or native?
 
ss_lemonade

ss_lemonade

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Oct 27, 2017
6,646
Vagabond said:
For the love of everything holy, could someone check out RJoy + PS4 Remote Play on it?
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There's an android ps4 remote play app now? I thought Sony locked that down

vestan said:
Precisely. The amount of things on offer here is just crazy. I've been wanting to get rid of my SHIELD Portable for a while now and the Switch with a full Tegra Android port just might spur me to do that.
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Same here, but I feel like my Portable will still be a better experience due to having a dpad.
 
MXT

MXT

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There is still a lot of work for the developer to do - sleep is not working among other major things - but this is great progress. Will be awesome when it's done.
 
Green

Green

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Oct 27, 2017
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Someone do this and add Halo to steam and stream it. Damn. Gonna really have to think about doing this...
 
plusaflag

plusaflag

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This is excellent news. However, I wonder what RAM usage is. The purpose of the Switch OS is to be as lean as possible. They even renounced implementing background music in the eShop, possibly in order to free up some space.
 
Vagabond

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Lump said:
PS4 Remote Play isn't officially available on Android TV (which is used by the Shield TV), but this mod doesn't look like Android TV so maybe it can.
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georaldc said:
There's an android ps4 remote play app now? I thought Sony locked that down
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Does RJoy no longer work? I thought it worked still, just finicky issues with controllers?

Edit: I see the current preferred method is moonlight + the official remote play application running on a PC. Hopefully someone can mess around with the controls and see if they can map them.

Also, can't forget about Xbox streaming. This is about to get good!
 
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Mechaplum

Mechaplum

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If im being honest this is the main reason I picked up a launch switch. Waiting for the home brew scene to mature
 
ss_lemonade

ss_lemonade

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Oct 27, 2017
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Vagabond said:
Does RJoy no longer work? I thought it worked still, just finicky issues with controllers?
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Not sure what rjoy is, but there was a time when the official app was hacked to work on non Xperia phones and with 3rd party controllers. Made streaming to something like the Shield Portable a million times better than using a Vita. That was years ago though and Sony released uodates that prevented this from working again. I think it was still possible to use if you flashed the Sony framework but you were still stuck with the requirement of needing a Dualshock 4.
 
Vagabond

Vagabond

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georaldc said:
Not sure what rjoy is, but there was a time when the official app was hacked to work on non Xperia phones and with 3rd party controllers. Made streaming to something like the Shield Portable a million times better than using a Vita. That was years ago though and Sony released uodates that prevented this from working again. I think it was still possible to use if you flashed the Sony framework but you were still stuck with the requirement of needing a Dualshock 4.
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Oh, believe me. I am aware.

RJoy got renamed to PSJoy apparently but has since been replaed with another, better solution where you would just run the official remote play app+a PS controller emulator if you would like + moonlight. Moonlight has already been tested but I'm curious as to how the buttons map on the joycons and if anyone got it to work with the remote play streaming through moonlight.
 
janoGX

janoGX

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I was thinking to buy a Switch Pro + another old Switch, and then making my old switch I own now an Android device to add more stuff.
 
Jodast

Jodast

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CommodoreKong said:
I'm actually kinda annoyed we haven't seen any PCs with the Switch form factor yet. I would love a GPD Win or something similar with the Switch form factor. I think I saw a proof of concept of one once but as far as I know it was never released.
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There is the Smach Z, which is a slate based Windows device, though it uses the Steam Controller layout for input. GPD won't make one right now as they believe a keyboard is neccessary for a Windows handheld.

Anyway, if the "pro" Switch is a worthwhile upgrade I might upgrade and play around with this on the OG model. It'll be probably the best Android handheld we'll see for a while, and my Shield Portable has a dodgy digitiser that makes it a pain to play games that need mapping.
 
Starwing

Starwing

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Oct 31, 2018
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I am so happy I bought my Switch on launch. I know what I'm doing with mine once the pro comes out...
 
Obi

Obi

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Oct 27, 2017
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Heck yeah! Looking forward to playing FTL on my Switch with touch controls. They never got backported to the PC version. I hope you can just boot Android off an SD card though. I havn't played games on my switch at all lately, but it'd be nice to still have the option.
 
RM8

RM8

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Release that Switch Mini already so I can turn my current Switch into a sweet gaming tablet!
 
Big Chief Crazy Cone

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This is incredible, and much preferable to messing with Ubuntu, as someone that isn't that familiar with Linux

Pretty soon it should be possible to do the following quadruple boot, potentially from a single SD:

1. Horizon OS official firmware for Switch games
2. EmuMMC Horizon OS for Switch-based home brew (GzDoom, OpenMW, OpenRCT2, xAsh, etc)
3. Lakka for Vulkan accelerated RetroArch for emulating your cartridge dumps etc on the go as your own virtual console (could be achieved through 2 as well)
4. Android for media consumption, web browsing, PC streaming

I bought a second switch a year ago for home brew, and it's been great. It will be an amazing device, much more so in just a few months
 
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