A developer interview posted on Nintendo’s blog has revealed that the Switch 2’s GameShare feature is powered by Wii U screen-streaming technology.
GameShare allows Switch 2 owners to share parts of their games with anyone who has a Switch or Switch 2, even if they don’t own it. Entertainment Planning & Development director Takuhiro Dohta likens the feature to Download Play on the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. However, unlike Download Play, which required each client to download small sections of the shared game, using GameShare locally requires no download. The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct that introduced the feature also showed mockup footage of a Switch 2 streaming a game in real-time to three other consoles locally.
GameShare Takes Advantage of the Switch 2’s Power
In the interview, producer Kouichi Kawamoto talked about leveraging Wii U streaming tech on the Switch 2’s hardware for GameShare.
“…using the same streaming technology that Wii U uses to send images from the console to the handheld Wii U Gamepad, we could share the gameplay instantly without having to take time to transfer the software.”
This means the GameShare footage in the Direct showed a Switch 2 streaming video, audio, and control data to multiple consoles in real-time. Kawamoto said he asked technology development head Tetsuya Sasaki to look into implementing the technology, a task he admits must have been “a nightmare” to achieve.
To that, Sasaki simply replied, “Nah, I figured something like this might happen.” He later explained that the Switch 2’s implementation also takes advantage of modern advancements in wireless streaming communications.
The Wii U’s Streaming Tech Was Ahead of Its Time
The Wii U’s defining feature was its second-screen technology, which turned the Wii U Gamepad into a gameplay accessory for the main screen. For example, in 2012’s ZombiU, the Gamepad functioned as the player’s inventory. This meant players had to look down to interact with the items in their bag while vulnerable to attacks. This innovation, developed by Nintendo and Broadcom, enabled real-time, high-quality video streaming between the Wii U and Gamepad. Those who’ve played a Wii U can attest to how seamless the second-screen technology is.
While the Wii U went on to become a historical disaster for Nintendo (it’s Nintendo’s worst-selling console ever), the console’s streaming technology has always been highly praised, so it’s good to see Nintendo pull the feature out of their archives and implement it in the Switch 2. You can watch the full Nintendo Switch 2 Direct here.
