Nintendo’s virtual reality experiment from the 1990s, the Virtual Boy, has long been consigned to the shadows of gaming history, overshadowed by other classic console releases. However, this hiatus will come to an end next February, as the company plans its initial official re-release of Virtual Boy games, available to players who purchase a specialized Switch dock designed to resemble the original device. This dock will retail for $100, though a more affordable cardboard holder option will also be available.
The collection, titled Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics, is set to launch for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers on #NintendoSwitch and #NintendoSwitch2 starting February 17, 2026, according to Nintendo’s announcement. #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/VnCO0DiX3S
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 12, 2025
In the United States and Canada, subscribers will soon have the option to buy the $100 dock, which Nintendo claims “recreates the form of the original Virtual Boy hardware,” along with a $25 cardboard alternative. From February 17, subscribers will be able to engage with Virtual Boy titles included in the Expansion Pack subscription by inserting their Switch or Switch 2 into these retro-inspired accessories. The provided gameplay will likely utilize a split-screen format, enhanced by special lenses to mirror the original Virtual Boy’s resolution of 384×224 and its distinctive four-shades-of-red display.
Nintendo’s communication indicates that this dedicated accessory will be essential for playing Virtual Boy titles through the Switch. Therefore, gameplay on consoles that lack one of the custom docks may not be feasible. Furthermore, while “purchase limits apply” to the plastic replica, indicating its potential status as a limited collectible, the more accessible cardboard model seems intended for broader distribution.
Additionally, Nintendo specifies that “Joy-Con or Joy-Con 2 controllers are required to play,” indicating that there will not be replicas of the original Virtual Boy’s unique dual D-pad controller available, unlike those produced for other classic Nintendo peripherals.
A Long-Awaited Return
According to Nintendo, 14 Virtual Boy titles will gradually be made available to Expansion Pack subscribers. This anticipated lineup includes beloved first-party games like Virtual Boy Wario Land and Mario’s Tennis, as well as rare third-party titles such as Jack Bros. and Virtual Bowling, which can fetch hundreds or even thousands of dollars for original cartridges.
The decision to formally recognize these games after years of obscurity has caught some by surprise. Even the virtual console on the 3DS, which would have been a fitting platform for a Virtual Boy revival, did not include support for this retro system. Fans of the console, known for its lackluster sales of fewer than 800,000 units, have often relied on hunting down scarce original hardware and software or using unofficial emulators, the latter recently gaining the ability to display full color rather than the original’s red hues.
Nintendo’s current approach to stereoscopy for this concept is reminiscent of the 2019 Nintendo Labo VR initiative, which involved placing the original Switch into a cardboard assembly equipped with lenses, providing a basic introduction to virtual reality. At that time, the venture was described as a “fine, serviceable, decent” entry into the VR landscape, seemingly targeting a younger audience.
The announcement regarding the Virtual Boy comes imbued with a strong sense of nostalgia and signifies a long-awaited acknowledgment of a seldom-discussed chapter in Nintendo’s history. Despite its flaws, the Virtual Boy exemplified the creative vision of designer Gunpei Yokoi, who championed the notion of “lateral thinking with withered technology.”
