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[Tutorial] Playing VNs locally on your Android tablet [NVidia GPU]


Segai

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Note: This is not for playing VNs on the move, see this topic for that. It is possible to connect over the internet but this guide is currently only for playing VNs locally.

 

If you want to read a visual novel in your bed, or maybe downstairs but don't want the bulk of carrying a laptop then there is a pretty good method for you. This method uses NVidia GameStream from the Shield game console(?) but works on practically any Android tablet or phone. I myself have tested it with my GTX 650 GPU and an Acer A510 Android tablet and I get a very good framerate and resolution over my 100mbps local network. There is no noticeable input lag and it just feels like playing it on the device rather than being streamed.
 

Requirements:

  • PC running the actual VN
  • PC has to have a NVidia GTX 600/700/800/900 GPU or GTX 600M/700M/800M (GT-series not supported) GPU
  • Android tablet/phone (You do NOT need a Tegra for this, any Android device with sufficient power will do)

Advised:

  • Wired connection from PC to switch/router/modem/AP
  • 100 mbps or better local connection

 

As you can see by the requirements, we will not be running the VN on our tablet but on a local PC. 

Step 1: Install and open GeForce Experience on your PC.

Step 2: Install Moonlight on your Android device.

Step 3: Pair your android device with your PC.
Start by opening the Moonlight app on your android device and click the "+" icon in the top right corner of the screen.

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Then enter your PC name or local IP. You can find this IP by opening the command prompt and entering "ipconfig".

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As you can see, my local IP address is 192.168.0.128, so I enter that in the Moonlight app. Be sure that GeForce Experience is running otherwise it may not find your PC!

If your PC was found, you can now pair the devices by clicking on the PC icon and entering the PIN that the Moonlight app is showing you on your PC.

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Now that the devices are paired, you should have connected to it and will see a games list, if you have any installed. Our VNs are naturally not in this list so we will add them in the next step.
 

Step 4: Adding the games.

Go to "Preferences" and then "SHIELD" on your GeForce Experience to see the (empty) games list.

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Click on the "+" button on the right side of the window to open a dialog to add the executable. Navigate to the VN .exe of your choosing and click "Open". Now your VN has been added to the list and you can open it on your Android device. You may need to reload the list by disconnecting and reconnecting. If you are anything like me, however, and you like proper icons and stuff you can edit the game by clicking the button below the "+" sign while you have the game selected. Here you can change the name and box art that will show on your Android device. Very useful for a neat overview if you have many VNs.

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Tap on the icon of the VN you added to start it up on your PC and stream it to your Android device. Then just shut off your PC screen and enjoy the game. Controls are like most Remote Desktop clients as in, drag for mouse positioning and tap to left click. This is all you need for most VNs.

 

Troubleshooting:

Q: "Help, I have no sound!"
A: First try the usual stuff. If that doesn't work, try starting the game while headphones or some audio device is plugged into the PC. Noble Works will not output sound if started without any audio device but will work fine if you unplug it later.

Q: "I cannot connect even though the IP is correct and GeForce Experience is running!"
A: Check the troubleshooting tips in this topic: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2505510

 

Extra: Remote Desktop

In my search for a high quality RD solution with sound I came across a guide (see bottom of post) which is how I figured this out. In order to just have remote desktop (and yes, you can also play VNs this way if you don't want to add them all to your list) just add "C:\Windows\System32\mstsc.exe" as a game in the exact same manner that you added the VN from before. Then open that app to enjoy high quality remote desktop.

 

Sources:
Moonlight App: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2505510
Guide on Remote Desktop: https://forums.geforce.com/default/topic/724672/tips-and-tricks/tnt-how-to-play-pc-games-that-don-rsquo-t-have-native-controller-support-/

Edited by Segai
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I haven't played with this before, but last time I tried teamviewer, there was both horrible compression and terrible lag.  While I'm not sure how much nVidia has managed to mitigate lag, I highly doubt there is anywhere near as much compression from them if they wanted this service to be reliable.  There is also the added fact that by using this system, you are not going through a third party server and introducing all the complications that that might entail.  Judging by how they let you use the localIP instead of an external IP or account based system, it is highly likely you can disconnect your computer from the internet and still use the service.

In just every respect, this looks like a better qualitative solution at a glance than teamviewer.

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15 minutes ago, Abyssal Monkey said:

I haven't played with this before, but last time I tried teamviewer, there was both horrible compression and terrible lag.  While I'm not sure how much nVidia has managed to mitigate lag, I highly doubt there is anywhere near as much compression from them if they wanted this service to be reliable.  There is also the added fact that by using this system, you are not going through a third party server and introducing all the complications that that might entail.  Judging by how they let you use the localIP instead of an external IP or account based system, it is highly likely you can disconnect your computer from the internet and still use the service.

In just every respect, this looks like a better qualitative solution at a glance than teamviewer.

You can indeed. The connection is entirely over your local network, though internet access is possible if you port forward.

From my personal experience I can say that the quality is superb. I cannot see the difference between running an actual VN on the tablet (like Katawa Shoujo) or using this method to run it on the PC. No input lag and no visible artefacting or lower resolution. My PC renders it at 1080p (basically just upscaled the VN so not true 1080p) and then downscales it to my tablet resolution for a perfect experience.

The only real downsides from this are that you cannot use the PC for anything else while using this, though I doubt that's an issue for most of us, and that you need an NVidia GPU.

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