ShadowCast Lets You Play Console Games on Your Laptop

Human Things is at it again. The minds behind the Genki Switch Dock are running a new Kickstarter campaign, this time for a device that lets you play console games on your laptop: the ShadowCast. The Kickstarter went live at 10 a.m. EST on December 22 with a goal of $30,000. By 11:15 a.m. EST, it had already amassed $115,000. 

Human Things’ ShadowCast is a two part gadget. On one end is a small HDMI 2.0 dongle that fits any modern console with an HDMI outlet, including Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5. On the other end is a USB-C connection that plugs into a laptop and transmits the console’s output to the laptop at up to 4K, assuming the laptop supports 4K.

Eddie Tsai, Human Things’ co-founder and CEO, said:

We’ve always been big fan of console gaming and are always looking to add more flexibility of where and when we can play — the Nintendo Switch has definitely been a game changer in this
field.

But ever since we’ve been stuck in a series of lockdowns and working remote, the laptop has become where we spend a big chunk of our screen time. We wanted a seamless way to get close to the big-screen console experience, especially in multiplayer, without the need to be tethered to a fixed television set.

ShadowCast uses built-in software called Genki Arcade to reduce latency and ensure quality streaming. The device is built to work with Intel and Apple Silicon processors and runs on Windows 7 and higher. It’s also compatible with the (very good) Genki Switch Dock.

Speaking of streaming, ShadowCast also functions as a capture card of sorts, letting players use existing apps on their computers to record, edit, or even stream footage from ShadowCast. Laptops also treat ShadowCast as an HD webcam, one Human Things said boasts higher quality images than many built-in webcams.

The ShadowCast Kickstarter campaign runs through early February. The lowest pledge amount is $39, the cost of ShadowCast, and gets backers the ShadowCast itself, a USB-c-HDMI 2.0 cord, and the backer’s name in the device’s credits. The first round of ShadowCast units is expected to ship in March 2021.