At the 2022 Tokyo Game Show, Tassei demonstrated a hardware attachment for streaming PC games to a Nintendo Switch over Wi-Fi. The device – called the Steam Card – looks promising, but Tassei still needs a partner to help mass-produce and distribute it. The Stream Card is about the size of a Nintendo Switch game card and fits into the system’s card slot. It consists of a Wi-Fi module and what Tasei told 4Gamer is similar to a System-on-a-Chip, which performs some local processing to bring the signal to the handheld. The TGS demo consisted of the Stream Card inserted into an OLED Nintendo Switch to connect it to an Intel NUC running Stray. Attendees could play the game with a Switch pro controller, displayed on both the Switch screen and another display connected directly to the NUC so they could inspect input lag.
According to 4Gamer, the Steam Card’s input delay is noticeable but not significant. Perhaps it isn’t responsive enough for a competitive multiplayer game, but there are plenty of other kinds of games that a slight lag wouldn’t ruin. The growth of cloud gaming and wireless streaming is evidence enough. The Steam Link, which lets users play their PC games remotely on devices like a smartphone or a weaker PC, has worked successfully for Valve. The Stream Card could add the Switch to the list of compatible devices, giving users more ways to play games like Elden Ring or Spider-Man in more places. There is certainly a demand for AAA games on the Switch that the portable system is too weak to run natively. Cloud-based versions of games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Control are available on the system. Capcom recently announced cloud versions of Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 7, and the remakes of Resident Evil 2 and 3 for the Switch. The Stream Card would bring similar functionality to owners of the PC versions of those games. Tessei said several companies tested its device at TGS and reacted positively, raising the prospects that the Stream Card might be available to consumers one day. Image credit: 4Gamer
