WithNintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation always looking to raise the bar on the player experience, it’s worth wondering why Nintendo never gave a real shot at VR, unlike the other two. Although PlayStation has certainly done the most with VR, even Xbox recently partnered with Meta to create a Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition.
For Nintendo, however, the closest the company has seemingly come to VR is the Virtual Boy. Released in 1995, the Virtual Boy was a worthwhile attempt at creating something VR-like that Nintendo still deserves some credit for. However, given how much of a failure the console was, it’s understandable why Nintendo perhaps never bothered to give it another real shot.
Nintendo Has Never Made A Big VR Leap
The Virtual Boy And Nintendo Labo Are As Close As Nintendo’s Ever Come To VR
As previously mentioned,the closest Nintendo has ever come to VR was back in the 90s with the Virtual Boy. If you’ve never seen one, the console was essentially a small red pair of goggles, not too unlike VR headsets of today, only you didn’t attach them to your head. Instead,the goggles rested on a tripod that you would then lean down onto while playing. If you can imagine how awful that sounds, in addition to the limited andexclusive red-hued Virtual Boy games, you probably understand why the console didn’t do that well.
Although it wasn’t technically a Virtual Reality system in the way that we know VR today, it was a pretty good attempt at something close to it before VR software was really available. That being said,Nintendo also had another strange attempt at something VR adjacent several years later during the Switch’s lifespan. Unfortunately, this one was even less memorable, which is why the product, Nintendo Labo, may not even ring a bell.
Nintendo Labo was a series of Switch accessory kits that were essentially cardboard creations you made and then used to make your Switch feel more interactive. There were 4 total kit variations, and the last one was aNintendo Labo VR kit. While I can appreciate that this was, yet again, an incredibly unique attempt at something new for players by Nintendo, it was still just cardboard. Essentially, you would load your Switch into a cardboard box with some lenses and have a VR experience similar to that of a cheaper VR cellphone headset today.
“… Nintendo has never made another real attempt at VR, and honestly, it’s unlikely it ever will.”
As I’m sure you’re able to imagine, this wasn’t widely popular either. Especially since things like the Meta Quest and PSVR were hitting the market as well and offered a much better experience for those looking for VR games. Since then, Nintendo has never made another real attempt at VR, and honestly, it’s unlikely it ever will.
Miyamoto’s Explanation For No VR Makes So Much Sense
Nintendo Wants To Bring Players Together, Not Separate Them
In a2015 interview with NPR, the creator of some of Nintendo’s most iconic franchises, Shigeru Miyamoto, spoke briefly about why exactly Nintendo had been steering clear of the VR space at the time.He mentions specifically that he, and others at Nintendo, had seen the technology and were interested in it, but didn’t see a current place for it at Nintendo. Specifically, stating that “Nintendo’s philosophy is that we create products that are going to be played with everyone in the living room,” and VR does not align with that.
Hearing that, it’s entirely understandable why Nintendo hasn’t bothered to attempt its own VR console or genuine add-on feature up to this point.Nintendo’s consoles have always prioritized players enjoying their games together, and the Switch has only made an effort to further that. Even when not docked, the Switch features a kickstand and a pair of controllers that can work as individual controllers for two players to enjoy a game together.
Unfortunately, VR doesn’t offer the same togetherness. Yes, there are multiplayer VR games, but they require other players to have individual headsets, and even then, you’re still creating separation, not reducing it.A VR headset is about the most anti-social and disconnected a person can physically make themselves in the gaming space, since your sight and sound are cut off from those around you so that you can be completely immersed. Even if you extend to a TV for others to watch, you can’t chat and enjoy things together, which is the opposite of what Nintendo aims to do.
VR Hasn’t Been A Game-Changer For PlayStation
PSVR Is Widely Used In The VR Community, But Even That’s Not Saying Much
Virtual Reality, even as truly incredible as it is, is unfortunately just one of those things that is almost better in theory. While I haven’t personally played a ton of VR myself, I have played a variety of notable VR releases, likeResident Evil 4 VR, as well as some of the shorter one-off climbing games and things of that nature. Although I won’t deny that it’s an incredible experience to feel immersed in a game, and it never fails to have me in awe that this technology even exists,there’s just not enough support for VR right now to make it worth it.
Prices on VR consoles have come down considerably since they were first introduced, but they still aren’t something super accessible for many households. Only one person can play it at a time, headsets are often a nightmare to set up, most games require a substantial amount of space to play them, and not enough developers are making quality games using this technology. This is a large reason whyeven one of the most successful VR platforms out there, PSVR, still isn’t that widely used.
PSVR is a great optional accessory for PlayStation players to purchase and is vastly easier to set up than a standalone console like Meta Quest, but there still aren’t enough games out there to justify buying it, which is why the majority of PlayStation players haven’t. Plus, those who do bother to invest in it can’t even enjoy PlayStation’s entire VR library, asPSVR games aren’t compatible with PSVR2and vice versa. So, if another platform is already struggling to make VR a big selling point, why would Nintendo bother making something that’s likely going to flop?
Overall,the attempts made by other companies are enough to show Nintendo that, at the moment, VR isn’t worth going against the company’s core philosophies. Miyamoto also shared, in the aforementioned interview, that there’s always a chance this could change in the future, but it’s unlikely this will be anytime soon, as it would likely require considerable support for the technology from gaming developers beforeNintendowould be willing to consider making the hardware for it.
Nintendo
Nintendo is one of the world’s most successful and popular video game companies. It was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, who started the company by making Japanese playing cards. When Nintendo broke into the video game industry, it exploded in popularity. Nintendo has released several consoles over the years, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Nintendo 64, Gameboy, Wii, and the Nintendo Switch. The company has also created several iconic franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and Pokémon.
