Nintendo Switch / Labo VR

Another interesting response during the recent Nintendo Shareholders Q&A was from the one and only Shigeru Miyamoto when he was quizzed about the "impression that Nintendo has been a little slow to join large global trends like the mobile business and releasing games that use VR".

The legendary designer rejected this, stating how Nintendo had been investigating and working with these services since the beginning, it's just that nothing is publicised until a product is actually released.

We have not fallen behind with either VR or network services. We worked on them from the very beginning, and have been experimenting with them in a variety of ways. In that time, we have objectively evaluated whether they actually allow our consumers to have an enjoyable play experience, and whether we can operate them at an appropriate cost. Because we don't publicize this until we release a product, it may look like we're falling behind. In regards to VR, we think that we have created a product that is easy for our consumers to use in the recently released Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit. Nintendo consumers encompass a wide range of ages, including young children, so we will continue to create and announce products that can be enjoyed by anyone.

While it seems like a fair response on the surface, it's hard to argue that Nintendo has not fallen behind companies like PlayStation and Oculus when it comes to virtual reality. Sure, Labo VR was quite a surprise and shows some promise for the future, but it just doesn't put Nintendo in the same league as its competitors.

That said, the hardware limitations of Switch are largely to blame for its muted VR experience thus far, and who knows what future hardware will be capable of. Either way, it sounds like Nintendo is still very keen on experimenting with the technology and continues to actively work on things behind the scenes.

Do you feel it's fair to say that Nintendo hasn't been left behind with VR? Give us your own virtual take in the comments below.

[source nintendo.co.jp]