14 DAY TRIAL // Modders and geeks always find a way to create something noteworthy, from hacking a printer in order to play id Software's cult first-person shooter Doom to modding a Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming device to play some World of Warcraft.
A post on the Gbatemp forums shows that a user modded a Nintendo 3DS system in order to turn it into a remote desktop. The user employs a homebrew app that lets him run Blizzard Entertainment's legendary massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft, controlling the character via the handheld.
The results, as expected, aren't all that great, as there are some control issues and the framerate is pretty low, but the fact that it actually works is the important thing to notice here.
Nintendo hasn't been exactly friendly when it comes to the modding community, which is to be expected, since it hasn't been on good terms with its loyal fans and streamers looking to create free publicity for its video games.
This means that the company will never give such an interesting app official support, and that its arcane function will only be available to those willing to tinker with their devices on their own, using homebrews in order to get around the system's limitations.
The app is early in development but has a lot of potential
Although the software is in its infancy, there's a pretty good chance users will be able to eventually enjoy some games, watch movies and browse the web using their 3DS with the full functionality expected from a computer.
Although the function afforded by the experimental app has a pretty niche appeal, users have been playing around with various ways to stream games and other media from PCs to handheld devices, in order to enjoy the liberating experience of playing something while immersed in the tub.
Steam's In-Home Streaming functionality offers a pretty good experience when it comes to the much maligned lag that accompanies any gameplay streaming attempt, but it unfortunately only works between Steam devices, and it isn't compatible with tablets or smartphones.
