New Nintendo Virtual Boy Preview

1 week ago 3

Published Feb 3, 2026, 9:00 AM EST

Ethan Krieger (He/Him) is an editor at DualShockers that got started in the writing industry by covering professional basketball for a sports network. Despite being a diehard sports fan (mainly formula one, basketball, American football, and golf), video games have always been his #1 interest.

As a life-long Nintendo fan, the Virtual Boy was always the most prevalent blindspot that I personally had in my experience with the company. Though I grew up in the '90s and was practically weened on the NES, SNES, and N64, my family (like most others, to be honest) did not adopt the Virtual Boy back in 1995.

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Of course, as the story goes, the Virtual Boy didn't survive beyond 1996, so by the time I was fully entering the world of video gaming on my own, the proverbial ship on the console had already sailed, and I'd missed out completely. Aside from hearing tales of the system on podcasts and in articles throughout the years, I assumed I'd never actually get to try out the iconic red and black titles of yore.

Then, 2026 came, and Nintendo is now ready to bring one of their most experimental, and frankly bizarre consoles back into the spotlight. Finally, anyone in a similar boat as me now has a second chance to see what the Virtual Boy really was all about, a sort of precursor to mass virtual reality adoption that we're slowly but surely seeing in the modern era.

Last week, at a Nintendo Switch 2 preview event in New York City, I was able to go hands-on (face-on?) with the newly redesigned 2026 edition of the Virtual Boy. Let me explain what using this thing is like, after all the decades of wondering before.

A Full-Measure Reimagining

As a '90s kid, there is something immediately alluring about the Virtual Boy. It's a piece of tech that seems like it's straight from a time capsule of the era, and would've looked right at home in Back To The Future Part II, with all of its late '80s visions of the future. The thing really is eye-catching, and it didn't take long for me to feel the draw to go stick my face into it as several demo units waited on little countertops for me.

For those unaware, instead of having a dedicated screen inside the headset, you'll need to already own a Switch or Switch 2, then slot it into the unit. For Switch Lite owners, this unfortunately means you'll be out of luck, as that particular model of Switch does not fit into the slot. That aside, it'll be easy setup for those with any other Switch or Switch 2 console.

Unlike some other gaming devices of the headset-type form-factor, the Virtual Boy does not have a headstrap to attach it to your noggin. Instead, it comes with an adjustable stand, which you'll need to rest on a steady surface at a height that's comfortable for you to peer into. In practice, it kind of feels like putting your face into one of the testing machines at the eye doctor, though you'll have more fun things to look at instead of just a hot air balloon at varying levels of clarity.

All of this means that long play sessions will absolutely require that you configure the headset in a precise, comfortable position that promotes solid posture, since you won't really be able to kick back and relax in a chair or on a couch while using it. That said, since there's also no weight from the unit being strapped to your face, it's still a very comfortable experience overall as long as your sitting position is optimized.

The part that makes contact with your face is soft rubber, which I don't expect will lead to any discomfort, once again, since it's not really attached to your face at all. In this demo space, there was, of course, plenty of light leak happening, but you'll be able to fine-tune this in the comfort of your own home. The audio comes from the Switch itself, and sounds great within the unit.

Visually, looking through the eye lenses at your Switch screen is stupendous. No, these aren't graphically intensive games, of course. But the red on black background pops beautifully, and every game I played was crystal clear. All of this combined made the Virtual Boy feel premium and expensive, which to be honest, I'm not sure I expected going into the event. This is a cool, well-made piece of tech.

I did not, however, get to demo the cheaper ($24.99) cardboard alternative of the Virtual Boy, so I can't speak to how that feels and functions. Nintendo had a cardboard unit in a glass case for us to look at, but my demo took place entirely inside the full-price version of the Virtual Boy.

A Fun Time, Though Personal Mileage Will Vary

When these modern iterations of the Virtual Boy come out on February 17th, games will be available to any Switch/Switch 2 owners that are also subscribed to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pass tier of NSO. If you're a standard NSO member, you'll have to weigh the option of upgrading to the Expansion Pass. For me, however, I think it's worth it, especially with the other perks that come along with the Expansion Pass.

Visually, looking through the eye lenses at your Switch screen is stupendous.

On Day One, Nintendo Switch Online will offer seven Virtual Boy Games: Teleroboxer, Galactic Pinball, Red Alarm, Golf, Virtual Boy Wario Land, 3-D Tetris, and The Mansion of Innsmouth. Of course, like any other old school game library on NSO, this will be expanded as time goes, with future games already planned, like the iconic Mario's Tennis and Mario Clash.

I was able to test out any of the seven games that will be ready for release, and you better believe I tried them all as someone that's never been able to spend time with these games before. Once again, as a bit of a personal surprise going into the event, I genuinely had a good time with every game on offer.

Teleroboxer is a blast, and weirdly feels like a precursor to something like boxing in Wii Sports. Galactic Pinball is one I could see myself sinking plenty of hours into. Red Alarm has a charming Star Fox-iness to it. Golf looked awesome. The Mansion of Innsmouth is a sort of cartoony DOOM-like that I never even knew existed since it was originally Japan-only. Wario Land used the unit's 3D capabilities pretty ingeniously, and made platforming in on a technically 2D plane all the more exciting.

Where I spent the most time, however, was 3-D Tetris, which once again, I wouldn't have predicted going into the event. Dropping tetrominoes from a top-down perspective in a 3D space where I could rotate the pieces in more ways than ever was an experience I didn't realize would be just as cool as it wound up. It made me feel like I was in Blade Runner, which is obviously awesome. I got a bit hooked on this one, and had to keep popping my head out of the unit to make sure no one else was waiting for my demo station as the minutes continued to tick away.

I genuinely had a good time with every game on offer.

Of course, personal mileage with these games will vary from user to user. At their core, the games kind of just objectively are smaller, bite-sized experiences you'll pop into whenever you feel like it. That will work for some. Others will try everything out once and then get back to whatever their typical video game of choice is. The Virtual Boy and its offerings won't be for everyone, but like with anything else, that's completely okay.

I, however, walked away a believer in these games, even with the understanding that 30 years ago, they didn't move the needle enough for mass adoption. Maybe I'm just a sucker for retro, arcade-y titles as I continue to age into my thirties, but I also know I won't at all be alone in this sentiment. If retro titles are your jam, there's a lot to have a good time with here.

Worth the Cost of Admission

I've seen some discourse that the $99.99 price tag for the new, standard version of the Virtual Boy is too steep. As someone with no horse in this race, no forthcoming review unit, or anything of that sort, I think the investment price is fair. Sure, the Virtual Boy requires a compatible Switch unit to function, but there's still a lot of premium design at play here, and the included stand is a nice inclusion as well.

As with any new piece of tech, it'll be up to you if $99.99 feels justified or not, but with the price of modern, standalone titles now rising to $79.99, I'm confident I could get $99.99-worth of usage out of the Virtual Boy. Again, I can't speak to the $24.99 cardboard version of the Virtual Boy, so the jury is still out on the differences there and which option is ultimately the best value.

Still, I want one of the standard units now, and I'll be waiting for that "Sold Out" designation on the pre-order website to disappear soon so I can get my hands (and face) on my own Virtual Boy ASAP.