{"id":446870,"date":"2026-02-03T16:53:12","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:53:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/446870\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T16:53:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T16:53:12","slug":"five-takeaways-from-my-time-with-virtual-boy-on-nintendo-switch-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/446870\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Takeaways From My Time With Virtual Boy On Nintendo Switch Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

The headset feels high-quality
\n\"Virtual<\/a> Image: Ollie Reynolds \/ Nintendo Life<\/p>\n

This is probably a given when you consider how much this thing is, but the Virtual Boy headset is really impressive from a build point of view. I was only able to handle it with a Switch 2 console already inserted, but it feels pretty weighty (while not being too heavy) and the dial you use to adjust the headset angle is strong and durable.<\/p>\n

Even if you wind up not playing the NSO app all that much, the headset will make for a really eye-catching decoration to place on your desk or shelf. I like it a lot.<\/p>\n

If the replica is a little pricey for you, there is also the cardboard version coming on the same day \u2014 though I didn’t get to try that one out.<\/p>\n

The lack of a Virtual Boy controller sucks
\n\"Virtual<\/a> Image: Damien McFerran \/ Nintendo Life<\/p>\n

I honestly wouldn\u2019t be surprised to see Nintendo add this later down the line (gotta squeeze every penny, y\u2019know?), but I think it\u2019s a real shame that the proper Virtual Boy headset doesn\u2019t come bundled with a matching controller. I can understand the cardboard variant not including one, but I really wish we could get the complete Virtual Boy experience if I\u2019m paying top dollar for it.<\/p>\n

My hands-on session utilised the Joy-Con 2 nestled within the grip, which wasn’t ideal. I suspect using the Pro Controller will provide a better experience, but man\u2026 I need a proper Virtual Boy pad.<\/p>\n

Once you fine-tune the screen view, it looks incredible
\n\"Mario<\/a> Image: Nintendo<\/p>\n

When I first wiggled my face into the Virtual Boy\u2019s display, everything looked a bit off. The screen was tiny, and the focus was completely out of whack. I don\u2019t know what the person testing it out before me was doing, but goodness, what a mess.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, small software tweaks via certain prompts on the controller (similar to adjusting the controls in other NSO apps) allow you to customise the view, so you can shift the image left or right slightly to increase the focus, and you can increase the size of the screen so that it fits your entire viewpoint. Once you do this, the edges fade out slightly, almost as if they\u2019re exceeding the boundaries of your peripheral vision. It looks really cool.<\/p>\n

Oh, and if you wear glasses like I do, you’ll probably be absolutely fine using the Virtual Boy. Unless they’re massive Heston Blumenthal<\/a>-style frames.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need a really specific environment in which to play
\n\"Virtual<\/a> Image: Ollie Reynolds \/ Nintendo Life<\/p>\n

This is true for the original Virtual Boy too, but if you want to play this thing for a reasonable length of time, you\u2019ll need to set up the right environment. You can\u2019t play it without placing the VB accessory upon a flat surface, and you\u2019ll need to make sure you\u2019re at the right height so that you\u2019re neither stretching up or crouching down.<\/p>\n

Case in point, the Virtual Boy I tried was set upon a counter while I was sat upon a pretty basic high stool. The height of the stool meant that I had to curve my back forwards in order to get low enough to use the headset. If you’ve ever popped your chin on one of those tonometer machines at the opticians, it’s a similar setup. I\u2019m getting old, man, it hurts to do this stuff!<\/p>\n

I suspect the ideal solution would be to set it upon a desk, then use a height-adjustable chair to get in the right position. Angling the Virtual Boy to the optimum position does help a lot too, naturally.<\/p>\n

Many of the Virtual Boy\u2019s games are genuinely great
\n\"Virtual<\/a> Image: Nintendo<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no secret that the Virtual Boy failed spectacularly when it originally launched back in 1995. As such, you might be under the impression that its games just aren\u2019t very good. Well, not so! Virtual Boy Wario Land<\/a> is an incredible 2D platformer that makes spectacular use of perspective, while Red Alarm<\/a> is a solid wireframe shoot-em-up with clear Star Fox inspirations.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t able to try Zero Racers<\/a> or D-Hopper<\/a>, since neither of them will be available at launch. But the sheer fact that both will be fully playable for the first time ever is reason enough to celebrate. What a time to be alive.<\/p>\n

Are you going to be picking up the Virtual Boy when it launches later this month? Share your thoughts with a comment down below.<\/p>\n

\tRelated Games<\/p>\n

\tSee Also<\/p>\n

\"Ollie<\/p>\n

Nintendo Life\u2019s resident horror fanatic, when he\u2019s not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The headset feels high-quality Image: Ollie Reynolds \/ Nintendo Life This is probably a given when you consider…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":446871,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[3378,99771,1299,75,12799,23196,74,7142],"class_list":["post-446870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-features","tag-first-impressions","tag-nintendo","tag-nintendo-switch-2","tag-nintendo-switch-online","tag-previews","tag-technology","tag-upcoming-releases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446870","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446870"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446870\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/446871"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446870"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446870"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446870"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}