Can I set up two-step verification without a phone?

Question

User identification

Recently, Google was pleased with the introduction of forced two-step authentication. I began to understand and, as far as I understood, without a phone / SIM card, this is generally impossible. Why is that? Is it really impossible to do with one computer / laptop? Especially now there are fingerprint scanners on many laptops. Windows Hello, again... How to be SIM-free non-android users?

Answer 1

If the phone number is required, then alas. All other factors including FIDO 2 are only additional. As I understand it, the number of accounts could not grow indefinitely.

Answer 2

Windows 7 + Mozilla Firefox, or Windows 10 + Mozilla Firefox 65 (well, or Linux + Firefox). There is a hardware key emulator that is friends with Google, it was broken under the 10th Windows starting from the 66 fox. After you set up the key, you can set up an adequate TOTP, and remove the key authorization.
I set it up like this a year ago, maybe they fixed it, or maybe the method still works