Topic: Virtual Boy for NSO

Since the Virtual Boy goggles work with both Switch models. Would this be a good use for my original Switch 1? Unless there’s some crazy performance difference between the models, I haven’t used my original switch and figured I could just make it my dedicated VB device.

Yes, it would be a good use.

I've already pre ordered it.

Performance doesn't bother me one single bit, I'm not planning on getting Switch 2 yet.

I'd be surprised if there is much performance difference between Switch 1 and 2. The Virtual Boy was pretty low-end hardware even by mid-90s standards and can be emulated well by even cheap handhelds. There's even a homebrew emulator for it that runs on the 3DS and allows you to play all the games with glasses-free 3D. I always thought that Nintendo missed an opportunity to do it officially there, but better late than never with the Switch outing.

As for the system itself, it's very much at the novelty toy end of Nintendo hardware. There's precisely one good game - Wario Land - and maybe half a dozen others that you might enjoy if you can grit your teeth and allow for the limitations of the system, and you can experience pretty much everything that the system has to offer inside an afternoon. That's something to perhaps bear in mind before dropping money on the headsets.

Anyway, props to Nintendo for putting this out there, when it's a legacy that most other games companies would probably try to throw down the memory and pretend never existed. By the same token, I wonder if we'll ever see the licensed CDi games again?

With my preservationist hat on, I'd like to have at least the possibility of buying a keeper copy of a collection that's not tied to an online subscription, but the same goes for pretty much everything on NSO.

Is there any reason to believe the headsets are anything other than rebranded LABO VR? Presumably just adjusted to fit Switch 2 and, obviously, augmented to be in the Virtual Boy form. I can't see any reason why the games would be able to know you're using the headset

So, in theory, you should be able to also use the LABO VR headset for this. Assuming you're not using a Switch 2. And also you should be able to used these new headsets to play the VR modes for BotW and Odyssey

If you have a switch 1 laying around, and if you are paying for NSO+ any way, and have $100 you need to get rid of.
Why not?

My personal reflection:

2017: SNES mini
Hardware, 21 games, 2 controllers: $80

2025: Virtual Boy
No hardware, 0 games, 0 controllers: $100

Nintendos mentality has really changed.

The fact that you have to rent the games, that just hurts...

Anyone else see that virtual boy accessory thing and go is this for real or are we being played? Are they seriously expecting us to stick our faces in that giant headache inducing headgear to play virtual boy games like it's 1995?

I remember when blockbuster video had the games for rent and it felt like literally a month before they suddenly disappeared into a black hole never to be seen again. Stores couldn't wait to put that trash on clearance and get rid of it. Then sadly soon after the creator was tragically killed in a car accident.

Ill be getting both the replica and cardboard version so I can use whichever is more convenient.

But I highly recommend anyone with a modded 3DS install RedViper Virtual Boy emulator and play all 21 officially released games in glasses-free stereoscopic 3D, changing the color from red to any other color on the spectrum (and its a full gradient spectrum so essentially infinite colors to choose from- I tend to use a darker turquoise blue myself).

The 3D is incredible in the shmup for the system. Not Space Invaders, but Vertical Force. You have to change depth with a button swapping from above to below with enemy ships coming as a mix above and below. You can strategically dodge by changing the depth layer. So cool. Probably the best game on the system. Mario Clash is eh. Warioland actually is probably the best.

@Truegamer79
How can we be "played" when it's a voluntary choice on our part to buy or not buy what we want? If you want to experience these games in 3D in the same way the original hardware provided, they are giving us the ability to do so. A full proper replica for $100 but also a cheaper option for $25 if you just want the experience without making such a large investment. And if you're not interested, then you can simply not buy it.

If you have an old Labo set, or made your own cardboard VR set when they added it to Breath of the Wild and Odyssey, that really ought to suffice.

If you never did, the templates are still available.

https://www.nintendo.com/jp/labo/parts/index.html

Pre ordered this. Never played any games. Never released in UK

Since the new Virtual Boy Cardboard glasses fit the Switch 2, it will be interesting to see if they can work with Labo VR. There was a ton of experiences that only used the motion/gyroscope elements of the joy-on and that could be adapted to Switch 2. In addition perhaps this could be an opportunity for Nintendo to release more VR titles on the Switch 2.

Since I’ve never used Virtual Boy I actually asked Nintendo’s customer service team if they had any info on whether the new headset will be better about inducing headaches. Unsurprisingly they didn’t have much to offer but said they would be able to walkthrough issues after its released and that more info would likely be released closer to release.

this is my favorite thing nintendo has done for a while. Also means that the Vr mode games on Switch one can be officially played on Switch 2 (except for smash bros. which requires the joy-con to be attached, but that is possible on the cardboard model just not the full size one)

Galactic Pinball is a generic pinball game but it does look pretty good for a 90's one.
Teleroboxer isn't as good as punch out but has the same spirit in it
Red Alarm is the most immediately nausea and headache inducing but is probably the most striking and best 3d implementation
Wario Land is amazing, cant wait to play through the whole game soon
3D Tetris is weird but kinda meh compared to normal tetris
Golf is a golf game... kinda overcomplicated compared to most golf games ngl
Mansion Of Innsmouth i havent played enough but is a weird dungeon crawler horror thing

highly suggest for anyone who likes weird nintendo stuff

Now that the games are on NSO, I’m curious if anyone has compared using a Switch 2 and original Switch? It would be nice to leave my Switch 1 in the VB case so my Switch 2 isn’t being taken in and out, but I don’t wanna sacrifice the visuals.

I'm expecting my Virtual Boy today - just curious what everyone is thinking about it? I really haven't been able to find many thoughts since launching. I'll share my thoughts once I've had a chance to spend some time with it.

Got my VB and the cheaper accessory.

I removed joycon and leaned back in my recliner and let it rest on my face while playing. That's when it hit me- I'm going to make a headstrap for this thing.

Already modified it by cutting a slot to accomodate my triple mSD holder adhered to the back of my NS2, so I ordered some elastic velcro straps with bucklers. I'm going to cut slits, run inside, through a plastic buckler then out the same slit velcroed down. The plastic buckler should prevent it from pulling out of the slits.

Going to have one wrapping around back of head from left to right, and another attaching at the front middle and extending over middle of my head latching onto the back strap.

Then I could use it for VR too, if desired.

For what it's worth, it actually works with a Labo VR headset and even the Switch Lite. Well, sort of. You might need to make a few manual adjustments, so I can see why Nintendo aren't officially sanctioning it.

If you're of the opinion that the Virtual Boy doesn't really have enough going for it to be worth your while for more than an afternoon, or you just want to give it a quick try, and don't want to splash out on the new official options, you could do a lot worse.

For those of you who are wishing the big expensive plastic Virtual Boy shell also included a controller, I highly recommend using an N64 controller if you have one. When you hold the left and right grips, it's basically got the exact same button layout that a Virtual Boy controller does with the exception of the SELECT button. I wonder if you can map the SELECT button to Z or perhaps even the analog stick. I don't have my Switch on me right now to test. I'll check later.

Are any of the stronger better built third party VR headsets better for Switch 1 or Switch 2? There has been quite a few done and wondered how they fare with regard the VR experience on Switch? I love VR but it feels like there is not much content to justify it but wouldn't mind trying Breath of the Wild in VR and the Mario Odyssey VR sections.