Nintendo Enters the VR Ring
University of Cincinnati Design Communication Project

What if Nintendo joined the VR market…again?
In 1995 Nintendo became one of the first video game companies to enter the VR market with the original Virtual Boy. The console is infamous for being one of Nintendo’s worst designs. The screen can only display shades of red, and users complained about sore necks and headaches from gameplay. Only one year after launch, the console went out of production. Despite the awful sales, the console has a soft spot in many old-school gamer’s hearts, and in a way, the Virtual Boy was ahead of it’s time.


The new Virtual Boy 2 is Nintendo’s second attempt at entering the VR market.

As VR systems continue to improve, they become more and more involved. The best VR systems require a powerful computer, a VR headset, 2 controllers, room sensors, and a a whole lot of open space.
The idea of the Virtual Boy 2 is to condense VR into the smallest, simplest package possible.

The Virtual Boy 2 is the Game Boy of VR. The whole VR system is small enough to fit in a messenger bag or backpack and can be played while sitting on the train. The console is meant to be played in shorter sessions, in places where the user wouldn’t want to be too immersed in the gameplay. Because of this, users hold the system up to their eyes instead of strapping it to their head. When their done playing, users can quickly close and stow the system. The folding mechanism keeps the eye lenses safe from scratches, and streamlines the shape for storage.



This is a school project for University of Cincinnati and is in no way affiliated with Nintendo.