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What you need to break down collagen to gelatin is just energy. Energy = heat * time, so you can break it down in less time by using higher heat differential (higher temperature), which is exactly what a pressure cooker does.

I have a stew that would normally take 3 hours simmering on the stove that can be done in 20 minutes in a pressure cooker.

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Except you don't want to do that in BBQ because it can toughen, dry out/over-moisten, or burn the meat in some combination. I know the pressure cooker is better than the dry air convection of a smoker to some degree, but if it were that simple, then people would just crank up temps and use a large internal water pan.

Agreed, I was only addressing the part about collagen breakdown. Pressure cooking makes most sense when you don't change the medium of cooking, as you say, boiling bbq doesn't make much sense. Otherwise the principal is the same, apply pressure to prevent water from turning to vapor. When boiling a stew, this lets water reach higher temperatures without evaporating (breaks down collagen faster), in air convection it prevents moisture from evaporating and cooling/drying the food.

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