The weirdest Nintendo Direct announcement was the resurrection of the Virtual Boy, over 30 years after it became a commercial flop.
Nintendo has a reputation for defying expectations, with announcements you could never predict, and it has delivered once again with the return of the Virtual Boy.
The 32-bit portable was originally released in 1995 and became Nintendo’s most unsuccessful console ever, after it was discontinued a year later with only 22 games to its name.
You might think Nintendo would want to bury that failure, and scrub it from existence, but the company has done the opposite by reviving the awkward binocular eyepiece for a new generation.
As announced in its latest Nintendo Direct, a new version of the Virtual Boy is being released for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. By inserting either console into the device, you can play a select number of games through the binoculars in stereoscopic 3D.
These games – which will be available free to those with a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription – include Mario’s Tennis, Galactic Pinball, and Teleroboxer.
14 games are set to be released ‘over time’, with others in the line-up including Wario Land, Red Alarm, Mario Clash, Vertical Forge, and Virtual Bowling.
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As if things couldn’t get any more bizarre, a cardboard version of the Virtual Boy will be released alongside the main console accessory on February 17, 2026. It’s seemingly inspired by the Nintendo Labo toys-to-life range and. like the main console, will only be available through the My Nintendo Store to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
As confirmed on the website, the Virtual Boy accessory and its cardboard variant are required to play Virtual Boy games through Nintendo Switch Online. The main device carries a slightly alarming price of £66.99, while the cardboard is (thankfully) cheaper at £16.99.
Pre-orders are slated to begin later today, although the website currently lists both Virtual Boy accessories as being out of stock.
While it’s easy to poke fun at the announcement, Nintendo’s willingness to put so much effort into their biggest flop is commendably amusing. Let’s hope for a replica of the Wii U GamePad with Mario Chase soon.
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