Forget the Switch 2, Nintendo VR headset reportedly coming

Away from the rumoured Switch 2, a Nintendo VR headset is reportedly helping the gaming giant expand into a new medium of technology.

07th Sep 2023 14:20

Unsplash - Vinicius "amnx" Amano | Nintendo

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Nintendo's next step into the hardware space is perhaps the greatest mystery in the gaming industry. As sales begin to plateau and the Nintendo Switch itself seems to fight to stand up against its biggest games, fans are wondering when the next console from the team will get its grand reveal.

Many are hoping for the launch of a mythical Switch 2 to coincide with next year's holiday season, although that's a frustrating wait. Although we can't know for sure what's coming yet, new rumours indicate that there's another beast from Ninty that we need to be watching the horizon for.

Nintendo may be working on a VR headset

Well, that's going to make Star Fox nauseating. A new report from leaker NWeedle has claimed that a prototype of a VR headset from Nintendo already exists and that it's being tested with micro-LED screens from Raxium.

This is a curious detail, as the company was recently bought out by Google, meaning that Nintendo could be working with the tech giant by default. This prototype is expected to be used for home use, and it is supposedly experimenting with mixed-reality capabilities.

Nintendo has never been afraid to dabble into new tech, and while the likes of the 3DS were a win, the less said about the Labo and Power Glove, the better. It's true that there are Switch-compatible headsets on the market, but seeing Nintendo release an official peripheral would be a big deal. 

What has Nintendo done that warrants VR?

A lit sign advertising Nintendo's Virtual Boy.

It's a pretty immense undertaking from Nintendo if this rumour is to be believed, and it immediately makes players think that there actually isn't much that Nintendo would be developing a VR headset for. There are still some who won't let Nintendo live down the commercial and critical failure of the Virtual Boy in 1995.

Also, Nintendo doesn't have any immersive simulator games (perhaps a Metroid Prime title would work, albeit a little shaky) and it hasn't made many attempts to crack the entertainment side of the industry, so there's really no guessing what the company is up to.

We'll just have to wait and see if this Nintendo VR headset comes into existence,  but knowing Nintendo, this is pretty hard to buy. We imagine it would quite literally be a hard buy that boasts a hefty price tag. Then again, just imagine releasing Super Mario 64 revamped in VR and watch the money roll in. 

Joseph Kime

About The Author

Joseph Kime

Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.

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