Last week, Nintendo announced that its Labo series will soon be receiving a virtual reality Toy-Con set, aptly named Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. This is the first time Nintendo has entered the VR space in recent times (yes, there was the Virtual Boy, yada yada) and thanks to the Switch's limited native resolution and the fact that the kit isn't going to match the likes of PSVR or HTC Vive in terms of its technical resources, some are feeling pretty concerned.
We agree with these concerns to an extent, even going as far as to discuss the potential positives and negatives of Nintendo's new venture in a talking point feature last week, but VR developer Alexander Mejia has now weighed in on the subject, defending Labo VR against any early criticisms. Mejia is the founder and CEO of Human Interact, developer of VR title Starship Commander, and has been working in VR development since 2014.
He predicts that the Labo VR set will be a success and emphasises the fact that this is a kit built for young audiences, not something which should really be compared with the more high-end experiences on the market. He goes on to describe that the kit's interpupillary distance is fixed and an estimated 10mm shorter than what can be achieved with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, further proving that this is, at heart, a VR experience for children.
You can watch his full reasonings and VR developer insights in the video below; towards the end of the video, he discusses how this could well be the first steps of a bigger VR push for Nintendo, with the Labo kit seemingly being a way for the Japanese giant to dip its toe in the VR water. We wouldn't be surprised if this really was the case, but it's all speculation for now, of course.
What are your thoughts on Labo VR? Will you be trying it? Do you think newer Switch models will benefit from full VR experiences? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
[source shacknews.com]
Comments 49
I will definitely try Labo VR Kit but particularly want to know how the Toy-Con Garage will work with the use of the HMD.
There is not much to go on.
Jesus this video is painful to get through. Don't get me wrong, the guy knows his stuff and i'm fully on-board with his arguments but the background music is way too high and repetitive, and frankly completely unnecessary for this type of video.
I want to see :
1. How to use the VR LABO
2. how do i use the Garage Mode
3. Does it compatible with other Switch games
4. Can the kids able to wear and use it for long time (30 minutes)
nice paid ad. while do think the guy has authority about this topic, we need to see the games and what are gonna be the possibilities of people doing their own thing with vr like with toy con garage
Man with vested interest defends product...
It's going to be exactly what Nintendo says it's going to be
"basic VR technology to create a simple and shareable virtual reality experience for kids and families."
Anyone expecting it to be more than that is going to be disappointed.
To those who are concerned about the resolution and technical limitations of the Switch:
Understand that Labo VR will only be compatible with games made specifically FOR Labo VR.
The games will be developed WITH the resolution and technical limitations in mind, similar to how original 3DS games (on a regular-sized 3DS screen) still looked great and sharp despite the low-resolution display.
Regular Switch games are VERY UNLIKELY to get a VR mode slapped on them, (due to the aforementioned technical limitations) so don't worry about that.
In the end, its all going to he down to the software. As many Switch owners already know, game quality trumps hardware limits.
The fact that someone felt they needed to put the fact that Labo is aimed at younger audiences on record is concerning to me. Who looks at a VR mask designed to look like an elephant's trunk and even asks "how that going to hold up to PSVR".
We have 2 pictures of it so far, and that's not inluding screenshots.
I wouldn't want to judge it either way yet.
Anyone expecting PSVR/Oculus/Vive type experiences from this has no idea how this technology works. You're not going to get updates for Zelda or Mario Kart to work with this or full length games in general, for a start you have to hold it leaving no controller options anyway.
Labo set out its stall last year for its target audience and this is another new way for children to interact with games and have a new toy to play with. What it does do for core gamers is give Nintendo experience with the technology for any future devices or Switch successors to take advantage of.
Me, I'll be buying it as I had a lot of fun building the original kit in a Lego like way, so got my value for money that way even if the software didn't hold our attention for long, except the piano which was cool. Also it'll be interesting to see what Nintendo can come up with using fairly limited resources and my young son will probably fancy a go
@Mr_Kaos it isn't head mounted, you hold it in front of your eyes. So I would be very surprised if it works with anything else.
@OorWullie Precisely.
It seems like some people want to compare this to PSVR, Vive and Oculus. Lmao
The truth is, I wouldn't be at all surprised if Labo VR doesn't receive any further games after these initial Labo VR sets are released, and that's fine.
Only for kids? Ah shoot. Still, I'd prefer to hear from Nintendo that this won't work at all for adults before cancelling an order.
And he is correct.
I'm very interested in the Blaster and Camera games, perhaps something reminiscent of Yoshi's Safari and Pokemon Snap.
Of course, DON'T expect full-fledged games like that for $40 (packed-in with the goggles) and $20.
The games will have similar depth to something like the Labo Robot game; very simple but could still be fun.
This guy is right. Because its what Nintendo in PR has stated the point of the device is. Same as people got an idea about LABO despite Nintendo saying otherwise and low and behold, Nintendo was right.
It was FOR KIDS
@Lionyone Why wouldn't this work for adults?
Anyway, this doesn't need any 'defense'. No one thought folks would be ditching racing wheels and playing Need For Speed with the Vehicle Kit. No one thought folks would stop buying RC toys or playing real pianos when the Variety Kit was announced.
This isn't a $200+ VR console, it's a $40 cardboard experience. I absolutely enjoy putting together LABO kits and tinkering in the garage mode, but I'm under no illusions that I'll be playing BotW in VR or basing all my opinions of VR technology on a cardboard version of a Mattel Viewfinder.
This might be the first Labo a purchase as it seems interesting enough for my daughter to experience.
Not that the others seemed bad but just that this one might have support from other developers, therefore, extending the life use of it.
Wait, are you saying this isn't an early april fools by Nintendo?
Ah god
@Knuckles-Fajita This video made so much sense I'm half expecting YT to ban it for lack of insults and hyperbole.
@Anti-Matter "4. Can the kids able to wear and use it for long time (30 minutes)"
We'll to start, you don't "WEAR" it, you HOLD it in front of your face. So to see how long you can play, wrap your Switch in some cardboard and hold it in front of your face and see how long you can do that before your arms get tired. Now imagine how long a little kid can hold it there.
My best guess, no game lasts longer than 6 minutes. Well the game might, but each level or world will only last 6 minutes. Maybe 8 minutes, but no more than that. Nintendo will probably put a big TAKE A BREAK menu screen between each play session.
Anybody looking for an idea of how this will play, go play Face Raiders on your 3DS.
Haven’t bought any labo kits yet but I have a feeling I’d buy this and mod it to look like a virtual boy. Will be a surprise if it comes with a nice demo of virtual boy games.
@AlohaPizzaJack The article quoted the guy in the video saying that the pupillary distance was 1cm smaller than for Oculus which he said indicated children's usage.
@1UP_MARIO Great idea! I hope someone produces a kit to do that! Would be very cool in a geeky retro history way!
As a product clearly intended for kids, I see this as nothing more than a simple google-cardboard-like experience, although with a very low resolution, providing "experiences" that will be more like what that new Viewmaster tried to do.
Remember that kids aren't going to WEAR this. They'll have to hold it to their faces, which makes it more like an interactive viewmaster than a VR headset. It'll be more like a 3D viewer (although with a video signal instead of static pictures) but with interactive elements. Seeing this as a VR headset, or a VR platform is erroneous, IMO. This is as much VR as the decades-old Viewmaster was "VR".
VR just feels like a gimmick to me. None of the games I've played feel like full experiences and it cheapens the whole view I have of the tech.
Labo VR feels like Nintendo is dipping their toes in, and honestly feels about as big as they could go with the current tech on the Switch. The Switch literally cannot compete on a hardware level with other VR platforms, so why even try? Better to make something for kids to test the waters, with future hardware revisions perhaps making VR on Switch a more full reality.
I have quality expectations high, but actual software exoectations low. This is such a fantastic idea, and with a head strap, could be even better and more usable in other games.
@sauce There are plenty of full games. You can't judge a whole platform based on the short time you've spent on it, especially if it wasn't particularly relevant content.
If I want a full VR experience for my home I will buy an Oculus Quest once the reviews are in. Labo VR will be a fun activity to do with my kids. End of story.
No idea how this is a mystery. It is the same basic VR solution they had in the mobile space.
The same as the awful Chat/Online solution on Switch. Light years behind the competition. And a bucket full of excuses.
Nintendo needs a new Chief Technology Officer.
I'm very interested. I will try it.
@Agramonte I'm not sure if your aware but since it's inception along with Gunpei Yokoi they're all about using older tech in fun and new ways, which is also highly profitable another reason they're sitting on heaploads of cash.
It's probably against company principles at this point and highly doubtful they'll ever be on the bleeding edge of tech lol.
They're whole way of developing is thinking how old tech can be used in fresh and innovative ways, so nintendo will never be another XBOX or PS hardware, spec, competitive contender. They've never pushed the limits of new tech but rather old tech. Just wanted to throw it out there in case that's what your looking for from Ninty cuz then you're going to continue to be disappointed
I like Mejia's insight on the Labo VR and VRs in general (helps that he experienced with this type of field). I do see this as a nice entry into VR gaming and possibly engineering for the young gens.
I'm not expecting much in the graphic department, I'm more interested on the types of games it will have, how well it uses the attachments, but mostly Toy-Con Garage.
"Interpupillary distance is fixed and an estimated 10mm shorter than what can be achieved with the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive"
Why Nintendo???
So this basically means that grown-ups who are interested in this can't use it (without experiencing double vision or severe headaches)...
10mm is a lot! Probably won't even fit my face xD!
@MaSSiVeRiCaN They were not "sitting on heap-loads of cash" just a few years ago. They were loosing money
2nd. One thing is "bleeding edge" the other is hitting bare "industry standard". A carbon copy of a 5 year old failed Mobile VR initiative is neither. And a mature online solution was running by the competition on 2009 hardware.
Not about "spec". An A11 chip and 2K display did not save this solution (it is front heavy and uncomfortable)
@Agramonte bro even in the Wii U days they had enough cash in reserves to run the company at a loss for something like 80 years. They were losing money but were still sitting on a ton of cash.
Again sounds like Nintendo to take old tech and put they're own spin on it. Look at the classic systems, not the first to do it but the first to do it well. Even the Gameboy when released was pretty archaic tech spec wise, and the tech in the switch while no slouch is also fairly outdated.
Besides this venture is clearly aimed for kids and family and will probably perform well enough to entertain for a while which is all that should be expected of this. This isn't Nintendo's attempt at competing with PSVR, Valve or Occulus so expectations really should be toned down heavily.
The Virtual Boy was nothing to do with VR. It was an early attempt at a 3DS depth effect using 2 screens powered by red LED's.
@Agramonte Ummmmm yeah they definitely were. They had a couple of years of operating losses, but even during that period they had in the neighborhood of $10 billion cash on hand and virtually no debt. That’s what 30 years of massive profits gets you.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN “bro even in the Wii U days they had enough cash in reserves to run the company at a loss for something like 80 years. They were losing money but were still sitting on a ton of cash.”
Correct. It somewhat baffles me that anyone reading this site could be ignorant to that fact, but I guess some people aren’t particularly good at paying attention.
@carlos82 I wouldn't be so sure. Mario Kart got an update to work with the Motorcycle kit. It's pretty neat too. While VR is a lot more technical, there's nothing stopping them from doing a VR thing, even if it's a standalone Mario Kart VR download in the eShop.
Pretty much said everything I have been saying and/or thinking, but in a considerably more eloquent manner.
And more enthusiastic as well.
Because I did personally NOT have my mind blown when trying VR back in 2013. Mostly because the software sucked, and it was unclear to me how it was going to stop sucking.
We've come a ways since then, and hopefully Nintendo will show a bit more of how it can be done right.
I'm looking forward to playing Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with Labo VR. They haven't said it specifically, but, when the other LABO games were released they updated the game to work with them (with the exception of the robot), and they know people would want to try it so, I'll bet they'll make it work.
It's outputting the video twice, but, the resolution is so low I wouldn't doubt it can handle it.
@nintendork64 it was a lot easier to update Mario Kart for what are basically alternative motion controls. For VR the Switch would have to render the game twice whilst maintaining it's 60fps lock which I suspect it's incapable of. Don't forget that the design is to hold it to your face leaving you with little to no access to any controller input
I agree with and stand by the idea that the Switch is not to be compared with other experiences like the PS4, Xbone and PC. Those are very different platforms from the Switch.
But they are calling it VR and trying to cash in on a fad of VR products that has arguably already faded. Sad.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN Microsoft has $127B in cash and a history of bad ideas. It is called Mario on one side and Microsoft Office on the other.
Trips with kids - That is what parents use their mobile devices all the time. This didn't take off in any space at $15 - and not like the so called "games" help sell any of the other LABOs.
Either way - when you start copying failed Mobile solutions (re-branded as "VR for Kids")- time to take that cash and get a good CTO. And an App Product Officer... unless the 2 Star IOS App is also because "to many grown-ups" are using it 🙃
@Heavyarms55 Oh, you poor misunderstood thing. It hurts to be that delusional about the industry, doesn't it? Sad.
@DartBuzzer "Oh, you poor misunderstood thing. It hurts to be that delusional about the industry, doesn't it? Sad."
Have you not heard VR is barely a buzz word anymore. Labo is a niche product for specific group they don't claim a VR game or such. The delusion is those delusional claims of VR but so far has nothing to show for it. Even FB whom owns a VR maker is making a cheap VR - how delusional VR experiences is that.
https://www.bikebd.com
Have you not heard VR is barely a buzz word anymore. Labo is a niche product for specific group they don't claim a VR game or such. The delusion is those delusional claims of VR but so far has nothing to show for it. Even FB whom owns a VR maker is making a cheap VR - how delusional VR experiences is that. https://www.bikebd.com
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