It is no overstatement to say the Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s biggest console flop by a wide margin. The Wii U sold nearly 14 million units, which still makes it roughly twenty times more popular than the Virtual Boy, which sold just 770,000 units back in the mid ‘90s. Now, Nintendo’s all-red VR headset is back as a Switch and Switch 2 accessory to be fawned over by elder millennials and gen-xers. While it will probably mostly be enjoyed as a kitschy conversation piece, it’s well-made and a pleasure to goof around with. If you’re a lover of retro oddities, this deserves a place in your collection.
The Virtual Boy comes in an uninteresting red box that’s similar to Nintendo’s other accessory offerings, and it’s a shame the packaging doesn’t take inspiration from the original, gloriously ‘90s box art. I’d assume the target demographic for this is mostly collectors, so it’s disappointing that Nintendo doesn’t put much care into the packaging of its retro gear. Atari’s throwback 2600 console really nails the ephemera element by comparison, including display-worthy replica cardboard boxes and super-detailed manuals with each of its games. If the new Virtual Boy came in a box like this, I’d certainly think twice before throwing it away:
At a glance, the new Virtual Boy is almost indistinguishable from the old one. It’s a plastic headset that sits atop a pair of folding metal legs. It’s meant to be used on top of a table while seated, and the height of the device is exquisitely awkward. (Perhaps the original was designed with a kid in mind?) Though you can angle the goggles downward, there’s not enough range to allow you to look into it like a microscope or something. In order to look directly into the lenses, you’ll either need to hunch over awkwardly or stack something just the right size underneath.
Unlike the original device, the top flips open to allow you to insert either a Switch or Switch 2 screen in front of the lenses. If you want to use the older console, you’ll need a screwdriver to swap the plate that holds the screen in place. The Switch 2 plate comes pre-installed, while the Switch 1 version is included in the box. (Unfortunately, the accessory isn’t compatible with the Switch Lite.)
