Despite what your parents think, streamers actually have a difficult job. It isn’t all fun and games, because streamers need to entertain and engage their audience. The best way to achieve that is with charm and charisma, but never underestimate the power of audience interaction. People love when they get to be part of the show, which is why streamers like to include ways for subscribers to join in on the experience. Redditor Lovelyroyalette found the perfect way to do that by giving the internet control of their N64 through a special Arduino-based adapter.
Lovelyroyalette didn’t design this adapter specifically for streaming purposes, that is just one use case that stands out. It would also be great for remote gaming (including multiplayer gaming with friends across the country), which is something that was never really possible with the Nintendo 64.
In short, this device lets a computer send input commands (like “A” or “Up”) to the N64. The console thinks those are coming from a regular N64 controller and will happily accept them. If the computer is, for instance, hosting a web interface set up for the task, one could then control the game from anywhere via the internet.
This all works because an Arduino board, like the Arduino Due Lovelyroyalette used, can replicate the communication protocol of an N64 controller. If you want to try that for yourself sometime, there is a handy library called N64Controller that makes it easy. Lovelyroyalette simply programmed the Arduino to send specific controller commands when it receives corresponding commands from the computer via serial.
With that functionality in place, Lovelyroyalette was then able to program a backend server to send those commands over serial. It hosts a web interface frontend that users can interact with to trigger commands. They can click the buttons on that interface, use their keyboard, or use a gamepad.
Remote players can’t see the TV that the Nintendo 64 connects to, so Lovelyroyalette also added an A/V splitter with one side going to a capture card on the PC. The server streams that video feed on the web interface, giving remote players a nearly real-time view of the action. There is latency, but Lovelyroyalette reports that it is still usable. It would certainly be good enough to give chat a chance to get in on the action and sabotage the game.
