Nintendo shipped a Virtual Boy accessory for Switch 2 this week. The $100 peripheral is a stereoscopic viewer that docks your Switch console to play retro 3D games in the original's signature red monochrome display. No electronics inside, just lenses.
The business model is restrictive. You need the hardware ($100), a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription (pricing undisclosed in the announcement), and either a Switch 2 or original Switch. Seven Virtual Boy titles launch today, with nine more arriving throughout 2026. Most are ports from the original 1995 library, plus some previously unreleased games.
Pre-orders sold out before launch. Nintendo is offering a $25 cardboard version for budget-conscious buyers, but that's also gone. The company says check back February 16 for potential restocks, though supply is limited.
Context worth noting: The original Virtual Boy was discontinued in under a year. Nintendo sold roughly 770,000 units worldwide before pulling the plug in 1996. The console caused eye strain and headaches, partly because the company chose red LEDs for cost savings. The 22-game library (14 in the US) never justified the $180 price tag.
This remake targets nostalgia over mass market. The subscription requirement and limited game library make this a collector's play, not a mainstream accessory. Nintendo has form with quirky Switch peripherals (see: Labo cardboard kits), but those didn't gate content behind additional subscription fees.
The accessory works with both Switch generations, which is smart from a compatibility standpoint. Less smart: requiring ongoing subscription payments to access a 16-game library that's three decades old.
We'll see if Nintendo restocks adequately or if this becomes another limited-run collectible. Either way, the combination of hardware cost, subscription fees, and artificial scarcity makes this a tough sell for anyone who wasn't already nostalgic for Nintendo's biggest hardware misstep.