Rumour: A Hidden VR Settings Menu Appears To Have Been Found On Switch

Nosing on the internet I see that SetVrModeEnabled is an old part of the Android Graphics API which Switch graphics are based on. It's been renamed to setStereoModeEnabled in more recent releases. So this is probably a case of Nintendo not removing this call during the rework rather than them trying out VR.

This is 2 days old "news"
Anyways, I just think it was a carry over, they gave it a go, found it wasn't great so didnt bother. Doesn't stop others doing it though.

Shame the screen doesn't have motion detect, you would have to leave one controller attached for it to work (unless they embedded one in the visor so it connects similar to a controller, hmmm...)

I reckon they were just testing stuff, checking out the feasibility etc. Can't see it happening, but if it did, it would surely be tied to a fun Labo project rather than a "real" VR system like Playstation's.

Nintendo will have all kinds of stuff in the works that may or may not come to fruition.

Not intrested

It's a 720p screen. That's enough reason not to be interested. At all.

A "Switch Pro" though, with the same dimensions and connectivity, but a 1440p or 2160p display and a more powerful CPU/GPU would be very interesting indeed.

Pixel density isn't there yet. But it sucked in 1995 and that didn't stop them from trying.

@Akropolon which offcourse won't happen because mobile hardware is not powerful enough for such small system, on the other side 720p+ on a 6" handheld isn't needed but 1080p or more on a TV would be nice.

VR on Switch would only make sense in a dock, the power drain and needed graphics power would be not suficient enough in portable mode.

Defenitly meant for Labo or something. Not actual VR gaming

All Nvidia recent GPU has VR support built in.

Yeah, I'd sooner consider it old code or something they use for Labo testing since its technically augmented reality.

@Appleflap So you think Nintendo is making a Labo Cardboard VR? Even with that 720p screen it will still looks better than VirtualBoy.

Since Nintendo like to resell their decade old games, they must be itching to resell their VirtualBoy games to recoup their loss in the 90s.

Hmm, considering most games are running at a third of the required frame rate, the number of pixels is too low, the screen shape is not ideal, and it weighs too much, I’m gonna have to say ... no!

It's a subliminal message. If you look VERY carefully at the data dump, you will see those functions are meant to brainwash people into buying Nintendo Labo.

Psvr is already not powerful enough to compete with PC VR systems, so a Switch VR would be that much worse and kill the battery after 30 min. I love my psvr, and I’d love to play stuff like Zelda or Mario in VR, but it’ll probably be a ways off before we really see a Nintendo system actually doing that

no i dont think so, VR is a bit of a fad, the few people i know who did buy it have no really used it much since the fad wore off.

there was a reason Microsoft didn't jump on the bandwagon, Sony haven't released numbers on how much VR they sold and many suspect the reason is that the thing is a bit of a flop.

I remember reading some articles late last year talking about "this cycle of VR fad has died" or something.

I feel like VR is kinda done, on consoles at least. I hear VR is doing 'ok' to good on PC.

I have the PSVR, I never use it. Only used it for RE7 tbh.

I still see little to no point in the VR gimmick. And yes, it is just a gimmick, and in my opinion, far more gimmicky than the Switch's core idea.

People would be puking playing VR at 720p

Thought everyone thought 720p gaming was "good enough."

Nintendo would be able to make a good line up of vr games

And the said the switch is all past systems put together, and they're missing everyone's favorite, the virtual boy!

I find the idea of a cardboard headset holding this beast quite funny. People go on enough about docks scratching the screen etc, imagine collapsing cardboard headsets dropping Switches onto concrete floors!

Nintendo Switch VR Headset is Best. I waiting for this Switch VR Headset Release.

Could be true or could turn out to be fake.

We'll see eventually.

Vr Would Be Cool, But It May Not Be Powerful Enough,

@admwllms that new race car Labo kit combined with vr, that would be awesome.
And I think we will see something like during switches life cycle.

@Rayquaza2510 Oculus Go would love to have a chat about mobile VR's lack of power. It's completely wireless, lasts 3 hours and has some decent resolution and capabilities. Mobile is there and a lot of companies are looking at wireless and inside-out tech so the headset is completely free from a PC.

@Razer and @Heavyarms55 For being a "fad", it sure has taken tech companies and such by storm. Maybe you or your immediate group aren't interested in it, but that doesn't count as an absolute. VR and 360 video have catapulted in recent times, causing a takeover of important conferences like SIGGRAPH and sprouting their own. It's also not solely for gaming, which I happen to know very well... Since my company develops training and entertainment using VR and 360 video.

Massive corporations/Financial institutions are really adopting it to save on in-person training.

Hospitals are building therapeutic programs around VR for rehab or distraction during chemo.

How do I know? Because I've built and supplied those two types and many more. Immersive tech isn't a fad because your perception is "meh" in gaming. Gotta think outside the box.

@boywundr

https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/26/this-vr-cycle-is-dead/

https://www.gq.com/story/is-vr-gaming-over-before-it-even-started

https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/266791-high-end-vr-market-dead

https://www.howtogeek.com/350119/how-good-is-vr-in-2018-is-it-worth-buying/

all these are dated in the last 10 months except first one which was from last year.

The last one really drives home our point at the end....

But maybe if you type in google vr is... then choose the first option predicted by google, that will probably answer your question.

VR has some uses outside gaming, but inside gaming no, and this cycle of VR was created for and inspired by gaming, so as far as Nintendo and VR is concerned, LOL is all i can say to that.

And the comments section on the second one just really says it all.... VR is dead.

VR is an interesting concept, but IMO the technology needs to grow and change by leaps and bounds (and become more affordable) before it becomes more mainstream. I'm pretty sure the Switch in its current state wouldn't be able to support it very well anyway.

@Razer The Switch is a bigger fad than VR. Most of my friends never use their Switches anymore. We've all moved onto using VR daily.

I only touch Switch when a high quality exclusive comes out.

@Heavyarms55 You've clearly never even used VR to any decent extent then.

The core of Switch is it's hybrid nature which doesn't add anything to a game itself.

VR adds massively to gaming by either completely changing how gaming works for the better, or by improving existing genres. It's no secret that most VR ports are the definitive version. On the flip side, many Switch ports cannot be considered the best.

Skyrim is best in VR. Thumper is best in VR. RE7 is best in VR. See where this is going? All of those are inferior on Switch, as much as I like the console.

You just repeat the same crap over and over in VR articles, about how it's a gimmick and trash. You make yourself look like one bitter, hateable individual each time you do this.

@Razer All of those articles mean nothing. I can bring up countless "Nintendo is dead/dying" articles too. Doesn't make it true.

VR has countless uses within gaming. It's pretty obvious you've never once used it, invalidating anything you have to say about it.

You give gamers a bad rep with that hatred, quite honesty.

@BlueformFactor Okay please bring up Articles that say Nintendo is dying dated 2018 or late 2017. If you can't i will post another 4 articles for you that prove VR is dead.

If you fail to do so, i suggest you never write another post on this forum again.

Troll.

@BlueformFactor PSVR has sold 2m units to date, that is meant to be the best selling VR kit... tell me how that is a success... please... im dying to hear how that is a success.

Please tell me how a piece of technology, released in October 2016, that has only shifted 2 million units as of January 2018 (no new figures because Sony has stopped paying attention, remember your PS Vita... yea i do), is doing better than something that sold 6 months after, has 10x as many sales?

I'm just dying to know how the Switch is a fad... and VR isn't?

@Razer Thanks for the reply. Always nice to have a good conversation.

First of all, other than the first article, those are all OPINION pieces... Second, most are 5 or more months old, the first one being from almost exactly a year ago... and it's the only one with a tiny bit of info to back up some sort of lull (I admit I stopped reading at one point because some info was dated and it's a LONG article! Haha.). Yet here we are with VR still moving forward and companies like NVIDIA, AMD, Valve, Oculus, Microsoft, etc. forming a standard for VR headsets.

https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/new-open-industry-standard-introduced-for-connecting-next-generation-vr-headsets-to-pcs-other-devices

^ That article, from NVIDIA, is a month old. Why, if this is dying, are major players teaming up to get things in order?

Also, as I stated, I work in VR, 360 video and I can tell you, not only is it not going anywhere soon, companies are eating it up. They're forming teams to do research and try out ways to implement it because it's a viable option for global companies. Look up SIGGRAPH when you get a chance. It's a major Movie, Gaming and tech conference that's held every year on the West coast in the US. It's a big deal and VR... well, it's creeping in to all sorts of areas there.

As for the code in the Switch, I think it's been stated already (maybe the first comment?!) that it could very well be leftover code from Android development. That doesn't mean Nintendo is using it... and I will tell you, no one would want it with a 720 screen! Hehe.

Maybe... and I'm not giving you a 51% vote towards "yes"!... maybe, in gaming VR won't take off, but outside of gaming I think you'd be really surprised to see how it's being adopted.

Thanks for the great back and forth! Have a great day and feel free to keep it going!

@Razer Maybe you should've got an education instead of dropping out. If you had, maybe you would know stop treating everything you read on the internet as fact. Do you also agree with articles that say the earth is flat?

Each article you posted shows lots of missing information, and an overall lack of understanding on the topic. They are completely irrelevant. VR is not dead. It's clear you want it to die, because you're scared of change, unable to afford it, or just plain ignorant.

@Razer Also 2 million units for a gen 1 product is decent. You do realize that your understanding of technology is completely non-existent, right? You cannot compare a 1st gen headset to a 8th / 9th gen console. Compare it to the Magnavox Oddsey which sold around 400k lifetime units. Now you can see why VR is doing okay and certainly not dying.

All technology takes time to gain mass traction. PCs took 15 years, consoles and smartphones took 10 years. It will take off in the 2020s.

As for Switch being a fad, I meant that more in my inner circle. It was to prove a point against you calling VR a fad because the people in your own inner circle aren't using it as much. I was proving how pointless that comparison was, because it's the reverse in my situation.

@readyletsgo You really should use it more then. There are lots more games out now. I can only imagine you have disposable income if you only seek out one game,

@BlueformFactor Yeah I know. Also doesn't help that my username on PSN has some block on my PS4 pro. Was hacked two years ago and my PayPal account was blocked along with all my cards, been onto PS support loads of times about it to get it all fixed up, no help. So I gave up, and in turn I miss a lot of vr games and sales.

I decided last year, they clearly don't want my money at all, so I just stopped using playstation except for 1 or 2 physical games per year.

Same situation on my PS3. It's a pity.

When I get a ps5 in the next few years, I'll make a new user name and start from the beginning again.

Past few years have left a nasty taste in my mouth with them sadly.

@boywundr Oh yeah for sure, i can defo see VR working outside gaming. but yeah inside gaming, im more inclined to think its not going to go the distance.

Opinion's matter though, especially from technology media outlets. There really isn't a single example of a successful VR game, 3 years after the first VR kit was released, we still don't have compelling enough software.

@BlueformFactor I can see why you got offended, you have invested time, energy and money in VR, so yeah if someone tells you that it isn't working and that you invested your time and effort in a dud, it's not nice, you would tend to lash out (like what you are doing now).

But think about this methodically.... in 2 years Sony has only managed to convince 2% of the people who own a PS4 to invest in a PSVR... 2%... VR's best chance was Sony and there is no way Sony will jump on this bandwagon now, you can see they are done with it.

Anyone who owns PSVR smells a Vita... how can you not?

It doesn't matter how anyone paints this, it doesn't matter how you try to spin this, it doesn't matter what stock you put into articles or not... it really does not matter.

If you fail to understand that, that is not a success, then we don't need to debate, you realistically have no leg to stand on friend, there are no numbers that back you up, just move on from this debate.

@Razer Succesful VR game, on what level? Sales? Sure, nothing has sold millions of copies. But no game sold millions of copies in the 1st generation of console gaming either.

But VR has proven itself many times over in it's additive quality to gaming. Many existing genres, such as FPS, Horror, Racing, Stealth, Multiplayer games, Platformers, 3rd person - all of these can be significantly or overwhelmingly improved with VR, as has been proven with the library in the last 2 years. Then you can add on top of that, all of the new genres VR can and will provide.

Games like Lone Echo / Echo VR are unlike anything ever seen before in gaming. Completely new types of experiences. And I can list many highly rated VR games, so it's not like these are lowly attempts.

Your coming at this from the wrong angle. This is gen 1. The early days. Stop expecting instant success when no technology has ever had success without several generations of refinement.

As it turns out, many companies are working on their 2nd gen headsets (with massive breakthroughs and jumps in tech), and investment is getting higher in hardware and software. VR will be fine.

I also noticed that you previously thought VR was the future and not a fad. Why the sudden change? Be patient and see that the tech will evolve drastically in the next few years.

@Rayquaza2510 Oculus Go would like to have a word with you.

@Sabroni Wow. Thanks for that very clear explanation.

Let's be serious, a 720p screen inches from your faces used for VR would be vomit inducing. 1080p for PSVR is just barely enough in my opinion.

@BlueformFactor oh thats right i forgot that companies are totally into giving people additional experiences to accompany what they already have at a cost to their bottom line. Makes total sense now that you mention it... And i can totally see Sony's continued support here... Yep... Totally. I mean... Its nust so silly to even count sales number as a parameter for success... Who'd do that anyway?

@yuwarite what by people who actually think VR isn't a fad? On NintendoLife? 😂😂😂... Brah the entire internet agrees with me... I could give a rats ass about what the drones on this website think...

One google search will show you who knows what their talking about... I can back up everything i say with sales numbers and actual articles to prove my point. Some people say "i don't believe all the articles i read"... Yeah thats fine... But then they try to give off their own opinions like it some sorta fact and they know more on the matter than any article you'd read... Yep... Okay, if you want to discredit something, you need to give more than opinions buddy 😂😂.

You guys back up your argument with your closed minded opinions... As cute as that is, i dont bite on opinions.

"I invested and love vr and damned be to anyone who tries to call it a fad".... 3 years later and less than 5m people own VR equipment 😂😂... Do me a favour mate...

@Razer If you actually did any proper research instead of Googling random articles that aren't relevant, you would see that Microsoft, Facebook, HTC, Lenovo, Valve, Sony and others have said they are still committed to VR and that this will be a long process but they will continue to invest in it.

Here's articles for you since you love them so much. Except this time, here's facts and not opinions.

https://uploadvr.com/google-clay-bavor-vr-ar-long-term/

https://www.designnews.com/design-hardware-software/microsoft-says-mixed-reality-future-not-vr-and-ar/148821410256869

https://www.androidheadlines.com/2018/02/htcs-vr-ar-focus-strengthens-with-vive-reality-strategy-mwc-2018.html

https://www.gadgetmatch.com/lenovo-gaming-vr-ar-big-part-future/

https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/10/vr-ar-future-of-entertainment/

https://moneyinc.com/facebook-invest-3-billion-virtual-reality/

"Brah the entire internet agrees with me" Right. The internet that hasn't tried VR. I've never seen, out of thousands of people who have used VR, a single person that believes it is fad. It is universally always considered a part of the future by everyone who tries it to a reasonable extent (meaning high-end VR with good quality games and enough time to take it all in)

You're a joke, and several people have called you out, and are probably laughing at you and your incompetence.

"One google search will show you who knows what their talking about... I can back up everything i say with sales numbers and actual articles to prove my point." I'm waiting. Please post away. But people can see this is a losing battle for you, and I have all the facts, all the knowledge, and all the expertise.

@BlueformFactor 😂😂😂😂😂 i can't and you've had me and others here tell you its a fad... What would yours and other childrens opinion on Nintendo life matter to me... If ours doesn't matter to you?

Yep. VR is not a fad and is totally going to change gaming.

Im done running around in circles with a blind fanboy... Go back to your VR headset.

@Razer I see that is the sign of someone admitting they were wrong all along. The only fanboy here is you. You're truly pitiful and unworthy of owning a Switch, and unworthy of being a gamer. We shouldn't have to put up with people like you in gaming.

I also see you have one moron upvoting you.

Switch is too low res for this... it just wouldn’t look good

Ok, I can imagine that Nintendo is gonna use VR but not the way people think about VR.

I think they're gonna use it with 8bit games...

What I mean by that is simple. Imagine Mario Bros NES "virtually" projected on a huge screen because of the VR. It could give a sense of depth to the game that wasn't there initially.

Basically you'll get a "fake 3D effect" (there is already an emulator doing that, it's 3D NES)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weRajsyLaEI

Another point that I wanna add is that the NES is 240p, it means that you can perfectly scale in 720p. It's a perfect X3 upscale.

So, let me guess... To promote the paying online service, Nintendo is gonna allow to play NES games like you never played'em before !

I hope they explore VR. I cant afford Oculus and there's only so much my Samsung galaxy version can handle.

@boywundr Those sound like interesting applications. I will be interested to hear if this trend continues. I am still not convinced this isn't 3DTV 2.0. That was all the rage in the tech world for several years too.

Please don't misunderstood my lack of interest as a lack of respect for the skill and intelligence involved in it's development. I am certain your knowledge and skills vastly outclass mine. Thus your opinion has more weight on this topic than mine.

I remember Nintendo commenting the Switch would be capable but it wasn't something they were trying to push unless VR could stay mainstream.

@Bunkerneath The screen actually does have its own motion detectors; I don't know of any games that use it but you can see it in the Labo Garage.

The resolution's obviously too low for it to compete with other VR headsets, but it'd be perfect for a Labo kit.

@Razer If you really think VR is a fad, I present to you this video or this video which really exemplify just how amazing and immersive shooting games in VR can be. Examples like these are why VR is no gimmicky fad (like motion controls or 3D were); VR is legit and it's genuinely awesome.

You're right that sales figures of current gen gaming VR headsets right now are low, but we're still only 2 years in to gen 1 hardware; the people buying it are early adopters. VR still has a way to go before the mainstream audience are ready to jump in; it needs to get cheaper, wireless and be less bulky, among several other things like finger tracking, and some of the things as seen in this video.

The fact of the matter is, big tech companies, such as Oculus/Facebook, Microsoft, Sony, HTC, Valve, etc, are investing in VR now and for years in to the future. That's not a subjective statement, that's objectively what these companies are doing right now. Low sales figures of these gen 1 headsets haven't deterred these companies, because they're in it for the long haul. They're going to keep investing in VR, until VR becomes more of a mainstream product, where the things I mentioned (form factor/price/wireless/etc) are implemented.

Maybe the next iteration of the Switch but this one is way underpowered for VR. If it does happen it would be the equivalent of using a Galaxy S7 or S8 with Samsungs Gear VR and let me tell you that experience is garbage.

Bigger news is... FOLDERS!?!

Of course they’re toying with it. They can’t let Sony have all the fun. And of course they’ll deny it until Mr. Official Pants says to announce it. Better be some VR32 games added to that $20 subscription if it ever happens, though.

@gauthieryannick The technology will take off well before plugging in our brains. Non-gaming uses don't really have to care about motion sickness. And it's non-gaming uses are what will make it a billion+ user market. Motion sickness is only really relevant in gaming, and most people can get past it anyway even at this early stage.

There are also games that don't cause sickness due to having no movement systems or using teleportation, or there are games that heavily reduce sickness using new forms of movement or comfort options. It's not as big of an issue as you'd think

VR will combine with AR in the next couple of decades to form one XR headset (or glasses), and it will replace the smartphone and be a practical necessity. Therefore, VR will be a bigger seller than every console ever made put together.