RUMORS: Switch VR Announcements Coming This Year
We reported way back in 2016 that Nintendo had filed for a patent to utilize the Nintendo Switch tablet as a VR visor. Then in 2017 we posted a story that Nintendo was studying adding VR to the Switch. So, to say we’ve known that Nintendo has been interested in VR technology for quite some time would be an understatement. It’s understandable that they may be apprehensive about entering the lucrative market after the massive Virtual Boy failure way back in 1995.
Today new information was reported on by Nintendo World Report and Go Nintendo igniting rumors that perhaps VR is coming to Switch this year. According to the former:
Nintendo World Report believes that Nintendo could make its first VR-related announcement as early as this year, according to multiple sources. We also believe that a small, select number of traditional first-party software titles may receive VR support in the not-so-distant future. While this news may surprise some, Switch’s VR capabilities have been public knowledge for quite some time. Last year, CNET reported that data miners had discovered a screen-splitting “VR mode” hidden within Switch’s system firmware.
Go Nintendo reported:
This comes from a very, VERY trusted source that we have a long history with. The source wishes to remain anonymous, so we won’t be revealing their name.
This source tells us that the rumor of Switch getting some sort of VR support is true. More specifically, it seems that Nintendo Labo will be the first target of this VR support. We don’t have details on what the kit will include or what it’s called, but one would imagine it to be a collection of experiences.
Will this be a one-and-done VR experience for Switch, or the first of many? That all remains to be seen, but we can say one thing for sure. We trust our source on this matter 100%.
So, what do you think? Will Nintendo enter the VR market, and if so do you think this is the year to do so? It seems to us that the Switch library is awfully stacked in the second half of 2019, so we’re not sure if it would make sense to push it out in a crowded market. Also if Nintendo plans on using the Switch tablet screen as the VR, we’re concerned about the 720p resolution not offering a great experience. I guess we’ll have to wait and see to find out, but one thing that would be a fantastic draw is that the Switch would be totally wireless. You would have the console on your face and the wireless Joy-Con controllers in each hand. We’re excited by the thought, but we’ll have to see if Nintendo can nail the implementation.
[Sources: Nintendo World Report & Go Nintendo]
Craig has been covering the video game industry since 1995. His work has been published across a wide spectrum of media sites. He’s currently the Editor-In-Chief of Nintendo Times and contributes to Gaming Age.
