How Nintendo can approach VR

[KBG29]

I don't think Nintendo needs to be in any hurry to enter the VR market. There is a ways to go before high end VR reaches a level of mainstream appeal, and even longer before Nintendo can offer a low price, low end device that fits their market.

Their concern of isolation is a non issue. VR actually is the most social form of gaming outside of couch co-op. The ability to physically be in the same space with anyone in the world through digital teleportation, is one of the most powerful expereinces I have ever expereinced. You can actually see peoples mannerisms in online VR games, thanks to hand, body, and head tracking. Even in this early stage, it is a massive leap over any other form of digital communication. As the tech grows, we will be able to go anyplace in our imagintation, with friends and family, or complete strangers, with full facial animation and gesture capture. This will allow for truly incredible interaction.

As for the AR/VR or Mixed Reality. That is already possible on HTC Vive, and Vive Pro. It should be a standard in headsets going forward, allowing for even more versalility. This would make it possible for the headset to go from a digital world entertainment and training, to real world entertainment training. Imagine being able to work on your car, or cook a dinner with the pop up instructions, real time measuring, real time torque, real time heat, etc. all displayed in an overlay.

The next gen headsets are going to user smaller screens, with twice to three times the resolution of current screens, a larger field of view, and quicker refreash rates. The tech is quickly maturing, and I think next gen high end headsets will reach the level of quality that could appeal to the mass market. I think the gen after that will be the perfect time for Nintendo to enter the space. I know some have asked that Nintendo just make an optical headset to slide the Switch into, but I just don't think thats a good idea. Switch is too big, and too underpowered, with too low of a resolution for a quality VR expereince. Best to wait until it is ready to be done right, and let others spend the trillions it is going to cost to work out the kinks of the technology.