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Soundwave on 21 February 2024
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Tober said:
Soundwave said:

Labo style VR wouldn't be expensive. It wouldn't have to be cardboard, could just be a plastic holder and ship with a VR collection of games for like $99.99 or $129.99 similar to how Ring Fit does.

VR in Mario Kart or Metroid Prime would be a game changer even with limited/cheapo tech. 1080p screen isn't the greatest, but even PS4 VR was able to get the point of immersion across. A collection of smaller bite size VR experiences together like Pilotwings, F-Zero, Pokemon Snap, a top down Zelda game that looks like a 3D diorama (tried Arcaxer a VR dungeon crawler with an overhead view, a Zelda game like that would blow people away).

It's only limited if you're talking like a $400-$700 add-on, if your system already has a screen, you don't need a $400-$700 add-on. To the contrary this might be a nice way to introduce more people to VR in a cheap way that they can then understand.

Nintendo has also recently filed new patents for VR, before Labo VR they filed VR patents and now they have new VR patents, so they certainly makes you go "hmmmmm".

It's also well within Nintendo's historical way of trying ideas on a smaller scale first before making a bigger plunge. They used 3D glasses on the Famicom (NES) and experimented again with Virtual Boy and GameCube (planned to make a 3D screen for it) before 3DS happened. For 3D polygonal graphics, they used the Super FX chip on the Super NES to test drive 3D polygonal games (Star Fox, Stunt Race FX) before making the jump to N64 and Super Mario 64. Labo VR being expanded to something bigger would be right in Nintendo's wheelhouse.

And I think it's a legit game changer. Nintendo could do some mind blowing stuff in VR that will rival or surpass the feeling you have when you first played Super Mario 64 or the Wii, IMO I'm very confident of that. I've played VR games from small developers that probably have 1/10th the talent and design genius Nintendo does, and there are legit VR games give me the same feeling Super Mario 64 did. 

The marketing is pretty easy too, Switch is a console known to transform, so "Switch snap" it now changes into a VR headset by sliding into a plastic holder of some kind. Dock it to TV, put into the VR headset, take it out and play on the go, etc. etc. etc. 

This would be interesting. Especially since the expensive Apple VR set is getting headlines. A more approachable device could get people interested if some fun software is there to try it out.

Yeah, there isn't really a cost efficient way other than those dumb mall rides to demo VR to a lot of people. PS4 or PS5 VR you have to pay hundreds of extra dollars on top of the console and the headset is tethered to the console so you can't freely move around. PS4 VR in particular was an enormous mess of cables, a total turn off. 

Meta Quest is more consumer friendly, but still it's strictly a VR only device for $200-$400+, how are you supposed to invest several hundred bucks if you don't even know you like VR in the first place. Meta Quest feels like the Wii successor console in a lot of ways that never was (sorry Wii U). 

Apple Vision Pro is gaining a lot of media attention and Tiktok/Instagram attention is from all reports a pretty mind blowing product, but it's a high, high end luxury product at this point at $3500 to just start and probably needing several hundred dollars more in accessories (carrying case, prescription lenses if you wear glasses, probably need Apple Care for a device that expensive, etc. etc.). When it's gen 2/3 and Apple can get the price down then they'll probably be a ton of interest but for now there's definitely an open window. 

A Switch 2 VR could really help get the tech out at least so people can try it for 15-30 minute bites of time and really there are a ton of Nintendo IP that could wow people in VR. Even like Switch Sports ... you think Wii tennis and bowling was something, there are simple tennis and bowling games on Meta Quest that blow the shit out of Wii Sports/Switch Sports. Nintendo could make something that really feels like you are on a tennis court with a real tennis racket in your hand or in a real bowling ally.

And it could in theory be done in a much more cheap way. The cheapest way is to just use a plastic headset and let the Switch 2 be the VR screen (at 1080p it'll be OK, same resolution as the PS4 VR). And it's a plus, it can add some extra dimension (literally) to games like Mario Kart, Metroid Prime 4, but it doesn't have to be the whole cake, it can be a nice new feature and then you still have a Switch 2 that you can use as a home/portable/VR console. That's a better value proposition to a lot of people than like say Meta Quest where well it's basically only a VR headset, you can't use it for anything else.