Nintendo is one of the most notable publishers known for not releasing its games on other third-party platforms, so much so that when a potential title goes against that norm, it is considered quite the news. This applies to the newest report from a gaming forum, where an apparent data mine of Mario Kart Tour’s last patch revealed several strings of code hinting at a PC release.
User MondoMega posted a screenshot that showed an apparent “Mouse” option under the “InputMode” string. While they also clarified that the string can be written off as something for development purposes, other lines of the code apparently pointed to a native emulator that may be used for this release of Mario Kart Tour. That will make sense when you link the arrival of Google Play Games for PC service later this year, meaning that we may see Mario Kart Tour on PC as one of the service’s launch titles.
While nothing is set in stone, Nintendo looking to publish its titles on PC signals the changes brought about in recent years. Microsoft’s move to the PC space with the Game Pass service (and even the Windows Store in a smaller capacity) prompted its console competitor, Sony PlayStation, to also port some of its games, most recently Days Gone and God of War. Nintendo pushing Mario Kart Tour may be a small dip for the publisher to test the waters of PC porting, as the title is free-to-play for mobile devices.
Either way, it will be interesting to see if Nintendo will push this move further, as there are several titles within its mobile lineup ripe for a PC release. Most notable is Pokemon Unite, the free-to-play MOBA now available on both Nintendo Switch and mobile devices. Another title worth porting to PC is Fire Emblem Heroes, which also made headlines today as it snagged Nintendo’s mobile division a whopping $1 billion in total revenue.
