View source for Virtual Boy

{{short description|Video game console by Nintendo}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2022}}
{{Infobox information appliance
| title = Virtual Boy
| logo = Virtualboy logo.svg
| logo_size = 200px
| image = Virtual-Boy-Set.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Virtual Boy with controller
| developer = [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|Nintendo R&D1]]
| manufacturer = [[Nintendo]]
| type = [[Video game console]]
| generation = [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|Fifth]]
| releasedate = {{vgrelease
  |JP|July 21, 1995
  |NA|August 14, 1995
  |BR|September 1995<ref>{{cite news|first=Rosa | last=Sposito|url=https://acervo.estadao.com.br/pagina/#!/19950918-37224-spo-0054-inf-g20-not|title=Virtual Boy oferece jogos com imagens em 3 dimensoes|newspaper=O Estado de S. Paulo|page=54|date=September 18, 1995|access-date=September 16, 2025 }}</ref>
  }}
|price = {{USD|179.99|1995|round=-1}}
| lifespan = 1995–1996
| discontinued = {{vgrelease|JP|December 22, 1995|NA|August 1996|BR|1996}}
| unitssold = 770,000<ref name="Famitsu Express">{{cite magazine|url=https://imgur.com/hXXa6DE|title=Weekly ''Famitsu'' Express|magazine=[[Famitsu]]|volume=11|issue=392|date=June 21, 1996|access-date=August 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015083428/https://imgur.com/hXXa6DE|archive-date=October 15, 2019|url-status=live}} Lines 4 and 16 have units sold in Japan and other regions, respectively.</ref>
| media = [[ROM cartridge]]
| display = 384×224
| cpu = [[NEC]] [[V850#V810 (obsoleted)|V810]] @ 20 [[Hertz|MHz]]
| memory = 64 KB work [[Static random-access memory#Pseudo SRAM|PSRAM]]<br />128 KB graphics [[Dynamic random-access memory|DRAM]]<br />128 KB [[Video RAM (dual-ported DRAM)|Video RAM]]
| related = [[Famicom 3D System]]<br />[[Nintendo 3DS]]
| successor = 
| units shipped = 
| top game = ''[[Mario's Tennis]]'' {{small|(US [[Glossary of video game terms#pack-in game|pack-in game]])}}
}}

The '''Virtual Boy'''{{efn|{{Nihongo|Virtual Boy|バーチャルボーイ|Bācharu Bōi|lead=yes}}}} is a [[32-bit console|32-bit]] tabletop portable video game console developed and manufactured by [[Nintendo]] and released in 1995. Promoted as the first system capable of rendering [[stereoscopic 3D]] graphics, it featured a red monochrome display viewed through a binocular eyepiece, with games employing a [[parallax]] effect to simulate depth. The console struggled commercially, and its limited market performance led Nintendo to discontinue production and game development in 1996, following the release of only 22 games.

The Virtual Boy’s development spanned four years under the codename '''VR32'''. Nintendo entered a licensing agreement with the U.S.-based company Reflection Technology to use its stereoscopic [[LED]] eyepiece technology that had been under development since the 1980s. In preparation for mass production, Nintendo constructed a dedicated manufacturing facility in China. Over the course of development, escalating production costs, health concerns related to the display, and the diversion of resources to the [[Nintendo 64]] resulted in the downscaling of the project. Additionally, Nintendo's lead game designer, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], had minimal involvement in the development. The system was pushed to market in an unfinished state in 1995 to focus on the Nintendo 64.

The Virtual Boy was panned by critics and was a [[List of commercial failures in video games|commercial failure]], even after repeated price drops. Its failure has been attributed to its high retail price, unappealing red-and-black display, unimpressive stereoscopic effect, poor ergonomics, lack of true portability, and reports of adverse health effects such as headaches, dizziness, and eye strain. Stereoscopic technology in video game consoles was later successfully revived, notably including Nintendo's [[Nintendo 3DS|3DS]] handheld console. It remains a notable outlier in Nintendo’s hardware history, being  by far the company’s lowest-selling standalone console, with just 770,000 units sold; for comparison, the second-lowest selling console, the [[Wii U]], sold 13.6 million units.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html|title=IR Information : Sales Data – Hardware and Software Sales Units|website=Nintendo Co., Ltd.|access-date=March 11, 2021|archive-date=June 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170621033554/https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/finance/hard_soft/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
===Development===
Since 1985, a red LED eyepiece display technology called Scanned Linear Array was developed by [[Massachusetts]]-based Reflection Technology, Inc. (RTI).<ref name="GPro67"/><ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/> The company produced a stereoscopic [[Positional tracking|head-tracking]] 12-inch display device prototype called ''Private Eye'', featuring a tank game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=2024-05-15 |title=Virtual Boy: The bizarre rise and quick fall of Nintendo's enigmatic red console |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/05/virtual-boy-the-bizarre-rise-and-quick-fall-of-nintendos-enigmatic-red-console/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}</ref> Seeking funding and partnerships by which to develop it into a commercial technology, RTI demonstrated Private Eye to the consumer electronics market, including [[Mattel]] and [[Hasbro]].<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/> [[Sega]] declined the technology, due to its single-color display and concerns about [[motion sickness]].<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://revrob.com/sci-tech/264-tom-kalinske-talks-about-his-time-overseeing-sega-as-its-ceo-in-the-90s-reveals-that-sega-passed-on-virtual-boy-technology-considered-releasing-3do|title=Tom Kalinske Talks About His Time Overseeing Sega As Its CEO In the 90s; Reveals That Sega Passed On Virtual Boy Technology, Considered Releasing 3DO|last1=Vinciguerra|first1=Robert|website=The Rev. Rob Times|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025155922/http://revrob.com/sci-tech/264-tom-kalinske-talks-about-his-time-overseeing-sega-as-its-ceo-in-the-90s-reveals-that-sega-passed-on-virtual-boy-technology-considered-releasing-3do|archive-date=October 25, 2015|access-date=September 21, 2015}}</ref>

Nintendo enthusiastically received the Private Eye, as led by [[Gunpei Yokoi]], the general manager of Nintendo's [[Nintendo Research & Development 1|R&D1]] and the inventor of the [[Game & Watch]] and [[Game Boy]] handheld consoles. He saw this as a unique technology that competitors would find difficult to emulate. Additionally, the resulting game console was intended to enhance Nintendo's reputation as an innovator<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/><ref name="Boyer">{{cite magazine |last=Boyer |first=Steven |title=A Virtual Failure: Evaluating the Success of Nintendos Virtual Boy |magazine=[[Velvet Light Trap]] |issue=64 |date=Fall 2009 |volume=64 |pages=23–33 |doi=10.1353/vlt.0.0039 |s2cid=190682178 |url=https://archive.org/details/VirtualFailure/mode/2up}}</ref> and to "encourage more creativity" in games.<ref name="Ultimate History of Video Games"/>{{rp|514}} Codenaming the project "VR32",<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/> Nintendo entered into an exclusive agreement with RTI to license its display technology.<ref name="GPro67">{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c7/GamePro_US_067.pdf|title=April Brings Virtual Boy|date=February 1995|magazine=[[GamePro]]|url-status=live|issue=67|page=162|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007040143/https://retrocdn.net/images/c/c7/GamePro_US_067.pdf|archive-date=October 7, 2018}}</ref> While Nintendo's [[Nintendo Research & Development 3|Research & Development 3 division]] (R&D3) was focused on developing the [[Nintendo 64]], the other two engineering units were free to experiment with new product ideas.<ref name="Boyer" />

Spending four years in development and eventually building a dedicated manufacturing plant in China,<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/> Nintendo worked to turn its VR32 vision into an affordable console design. Yokoi retained RTI's choice of red LED because it was the cheapest,<ref name="Boyer" /> and because unlike a backlit LCD, its perfect blackness could achieve a more immersive sense of infinite depth.<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/> RTI and Nintendo said a color LCD system would have been prohibitively expensive,<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/><ref name="Guardian Super Mario"/> retailing for more than {{USD|500|1995|long=yes|round=-1}}.<ref name="Ultimate History of Video Games"/>{{rp|514}} A color LCD system was also said to have caused "jumpy images in tests".<ref name="Guardian Super Mario"/> With ongoing concerns about motion sickness, the risk of developing [[Amblyopia|lazy eye]] conditions in young children, and Japan's new Product Liability Act of 1995, Nintendo eliminated the head tracking functionality and converted its headmounted goggle design into a stationary, heavy, precision steel-shielded, tabletop form factor conformant to the recommendation of the Schepens Eye Research Institute.<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/><ref name="Ultimate History of Video Games"/>{{rp|514}}

{{blockquote|[W]e experimented with a color LCD screen, but the users did not see depth, they just saw double. Color graphics give people the impression that a game is high tech. But just because a game has a beautiful display does not mean that the game is fun to play. ... Red uses less battery and red is easier to recognize. That is why red is used for traffic lights.|Gunpei Yokoi<ref name="Ultimate History of Video Games"/>{{rp|514}}}}

Several {{visible anchor|Technology demonstrations|text=technology demonstrations}} were used to show the Virtual Boy's capabilities. ''Driving Demo'' is one of the more advanced demos; its 30-second clip shows a first-person view of driving by road signs and palm trees. This demo was shown at [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] and [[Consumer Electronics Show|CES]] in 1995.<ref name="Driving">{{cite web |url=http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/index.php?t002g |title=F1 Demo « Games « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Planetvb.com |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921065852/http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/index.php?t002g |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> The startup screen of the Virtual Boy prototype was shown at [[Nintendo Space World#Shoshinkai 1994|Shoshinkai 1994]].<ref name="Mario">{{cite web |url=http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/index.php?t003g |title=Mario Demo « Games « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Planetvb.com |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921065824/http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/index.php?t003g |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NP Jan 1995 VB">{{cite magazine|date=January 1995|title=Virtual Boy Is Born at Shoshinkai November, 1994|url=https://archive.org/stream/NintendoPower1988–2004/Nintendo%20Power%20Issue%20068%20%28January%201995%29#page/n77/mode/2up|magazine=[[Nintendo Power]]|issue=68|pages=52–53}}</ref> A "very confident" projection of "sales in Japan of three million hardware units and 14 million software units as of March 1996" was given to the press.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Nintendo+introduces+video+game+players+to+three-dimensional+worlds...-a015923459|title=Nintendo introduces video game players to "three-dimensional" worlds with new virtual reality video game system; 32-bit "Virtual Boy" shown at Shoshinkai Software Exhibition in Japan|date=November 14, 1994|publisher=BusinessWire|location=Tokyo, Japan|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327195123/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Nintendo+introduces+video+game+players+to+three-dimensional+worlds...-a015923459|archive-date=March 27, 2019|access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> The demo of what would have been a ''[[Star Fox]]'' game showed an [[Arwing]] doing various spins and motions.<ref name="Star Fox">{{cite web |url=http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/index.php?t006g |title=Starfox Demo « Games « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Planetvb.com |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921065910/http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/index.php?t006g |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Cinematic camera angles were a key element, as they are in ''[[Star Fox 2]]''. It was shown at E3 and CES in 1995.

As a result of increasing competition for internal resources alongside the flagship Nintendo 64, and little involvement from lead game designer [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], Virtual Boy software was developed without Nintendo's full attention.<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/> According to [[David Sheff]]'s book ''[[Game Over (Sheff book)|Game Over]]'', the increasingly reluctant Yokoi never intended for the increasingly downscaled Virtual Boy to be released in its final form. However, Nintendo pushed it to market so that it could focus development resources on its next console, the [[Nintendo 64]].<ref name="Game Over by David Sheff">{{cite book | last1=Sheff|first1=David|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b_N5FzzD3hsC|title=Game Over: How Nintendo Zapped an American Industry, Captured Your Dollars, and Enslaved Your Children|last2=Eddy|first2=Andy|publisher=GamePress|year=1999|isbn=978-0-9669617-0-6|oclc=26214063|author-link=David Sheff}}</ref>

===Release===
''[[The New York Times]]'' previewed the Virtual Boy on November 13, 1994.<ref name="NYT Nintendo counts">{{cite news|first=John | last=Markoff|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/14/business/nintendo-counts-on-a-new-virtual-game.html|title=Nintendo Counts on a New 'Virtual' Game|newspaper=New York Times|page=2|date=November 14, 1994|access-date=August 25, 2020 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205015527/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/14/business/nintendo-counts-on-a-new-virtual-game.html | archive-date=February 5, 2018}}</ref> The console was officially announced via press release the next day, November 14. Nintendo promised that Virtual Boy would "totally immerse players into their own private universe".<ref name="press1">{{cite web |url=http://www.planetvb.com/modules/advertising/?r17 |title=Nintendo introduces video game players to three-dimensional worlds with new virtual reality video game system « Press Releases « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Planetvb.com |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628124825/https://www.planetvb.com/modules/advertising/?r17 |archive-date=June 28, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> Initial press releases and interviews about the system focused on its technological capabilities, avoiding discussion of the actual games that would be released.<ref name="Boyer" /> The system was demonstrated the next day at Nintendo's [[Nintendo Space World#Shoshinkai 1994|Shoshinkai 1994]] [[trade show]].<ref name="Boyer" /> [[Nintendo of America]] showed the Virtual Boy at the [[Consumer Electronics Show]] on January 6, 1995.<ref name="press1" />

Even with cost-saving measures in place, Nintendo priced the Virtual Boy at a relatively high {{USD|179.95|1994|round=-1}}.<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma">{{cite web|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/3050016/unraveling-the-enigma-of-nintendos-virtual-boy-20-years-later|title=Unraveling The Enigma Of Nintendo's Virtual Boy, 20 Years Later|last=Edwards|first=Benj|date=August 21, 2015|work=[[Fast Company]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707231258/https://www.fastcompany.com/3050016/unraveling-the-enigma-of-nintendos-virtual-boy-20-years-later|archive-date=July 7, 2018|access-date=December 21, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Boyer" /><ref name="Ultimate History of Video Games">{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |author-link=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |date=2002 |publisher=Random House International |location=New York |isbn=978-0-7615-3643-7 |oclc=59416169 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC |pages=513–515, 518, 519, 523, 524 |access-date=October 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170709060608/https://books.google.com/books?id=PTrcTeAqeaEC&printsec=frontcover |archive-date=July 9, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{rp|513}} Though slightly less expensive and significantly less powerful than a home console, this was considerably more costly than the Game Boy handheld. With seemingly more advanced graphics than Game Boy, the Virtual Boy was not intended to replace the handheld in Nintendo's product line, as use of the Virtual Boy requires a steady surface and completely blocks the player's peripheral vision. ''[[Design News]]'' described the Virtual Boy as the logical evolution of the [[View-Master]] 3D image viewer.<ref>"BreakTime: Virtual Boy Updates the Viewmaster Idea." Design News. 6 (1995): 192.</ref>

The Virtual Boy was released on July 21, 1995, in Japan and on August 14, 1995, in North America<ref name="NYT Intro">{{cite news|title=Introduction by Nintendo|work=New York Times|page=D.7|date=August 22, 1995 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/22/business/introduction-by-nintendo.html |access-date=May 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707203354/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/22/business/introduction-by-nintendo.html |archive-date=July 7, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=February 2023|reason=August 16 does not seem to be present on the page in any way; it contains "introduced Virtual Boy today" and was printed on August 22, 1995.}}<ref name="launchdate">{{cite press release |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=VIRTUAL BOY LAUNCH DATE ANNOUNCED |url=https://www.virtual-boy.com/events/e3-1995/articles/733039/ |location= |publisher=Nintendo of America |agency= |date=May 11, 1995 |access-date=2023-02-15}}</ref> with the [[launch game]]s ''[[Mario's Tennis]]'', ''[[Red Alarm]]'', ''[[Teleroboxer]]'', and ''[[Galactic Pinball]]''.<ref name="LAT">{{cite news|last=Curtiss|first=Aaron|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-31-ca-40702-story.html?_amp=true|title=Valley Weekend; VIDEO GAMES; Virtual Boy a Blend of Familiar and Strange; although Hardware for the Latest Nintendo Offering is Odd and Cumbersome, the Play Action is Big and Loud|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|page=14|date=August 31, 1995|access-date=May 24, 2012|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308122012/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-08-31-ca-40702-story.html?_amp=true|url-status=live}}</ref> It was not released in PAL markets. In North America, Nintendo shipped ''[[Mario's Tennis]]'' with every Virtual Boy sold, as a [[pack-in game]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/dionisio/2833237521/sizes/o/in/photostream/ |title=Virtual Boy 'Third Dimension' Ad (1995)|publisher=Flickr |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904094440/https://www.flickr.com/photos/dionisio/2833237521/sizes/o/in/photostream/ |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nintendo had initially projected sales of three million consoles and 14 million games.<ref name="press1" /> The system arrived later than other 32-bit systems like [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]], and [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]], but at a lower price.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario" />

<!-- sales predictions and figures -->
At the system's release, Nintendo of America projected hardware sales of 1.5 million units and software sales numbering 2.5 million by the end of the year.<ref name="NYT Intro"/><ref name="WSJ">{{cite news|id={{ProQuest|398447594}} |title=Nintendo co.: U.S. unit begins shipping virtual boy video system|date=August 22, 1995|work=Wall Street Journal|page=B10-B10}}</ref> Nintendo had shipped 350,000 units of the Virtual Boy by December 1995, around three and a half months after its North American release.<ref name="Ty">{{cite news|author=Ahmad-Taylor, Ty|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/04/business/behind-the-scenesa-crowded-field-portable-video-games.html|title=A Crowded Field: Portable Video Games|work=New York Times|page=D5|date=December 4, 1995|access-date=May 24, 2012|archive-date=March 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308142324/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/04/business/behind-the-scenesa-crowded-field-portable-video-games.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 

<!-- additional development and end -->
The Virtual Boy had a short market timespan following its disappointing sales. The last game officially released for the Virtual Boy was ''[[3D Tetris]]'', released on March 22, 1996.<ref>{{cite web|title=''"3-D" Tetris'' for VBOY |website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=January 21, 2009 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/virtualboy/puzzle/3dtetris/index.html| url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130204134955/http://www.gamespot.com/virtualboy/puzzle/3dtetris/index.html |archive-date=February 4, 2013}}</ref> More games were announced for the system at the [[Electronic Entertainment Expo]] in May 1996, but these games were never released.<ref name="Boyer" /> The Virtual Boy was discontinued on December 22, 1995, in Japan and August 1996 in North America without any announcement.<ref name="Boyer" /><ref name="gamepro"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Benj |date=August 21, 2015 |title=Unraveling The Enigma Of Nintendo's Virtual Boy, 20 Years Later |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3050016/unraveling-the-enigma-of-nintendos-virtual-boy-20-years-later |access-date=February 19, 2023 |website=Fast Company |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220044534/https://www.fastcompany.com/3050016/unraveling-the-enigma-of-nintendos-virtual-boy-20-years-later |url-status=live }}</ref> In June 1996, Nintendo reported to ''[[Famitsu]]'' worldwide sales of 770,000 Virtual Boy units, including 140,000 in Japan.<ref name="Famitsu Express"/> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' reported that 13,000 Virtual Boy units were sold in December 1996.<ref name="Life in the Old Dogs Yet">{{cite magazine | title=Life in the Old Dogs Yet? | magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] | url=http://www.next-generation.com:80/news/020697c.chtml | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970606032050/http://www.next-generation.com/news/020697c.chtml | archive-date=June 6, 1997 | access-date=June 27, 2018}}</ref> The system is number 5 on ''[[GamePro]]''{{'}}s "Top 10 Worst Selling Consoles of All Time" list in 2007.<ref name="gamepro">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/111823.shtml |title=The 10 Worst-Selling Consoles of All Time |access-date=November 25, 2007 |first=Blake | last=Snow |publisher=[[GamePro]]|date=May 4, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508035815/http://www.gamepro.com/gamepro/domestic/games/features/111823.shtml |archive-date=May 8, 2007}}</ref>

===Promotion===
Nintendo extensively advertised the Virtual Boy and claimed to have spent {{USD|25 million}} on early promotional activities.<ref name="Boyer" /> Advertising promoted the system as a paradigm shift from past consoles; some pieces used [[Caveman|cavemen]] to indicate a historical evolution, while others utilized psychedelic imagery. Nintendo targeted an older audience with advertisements for the Virtual Boy, shifting away from the traditional child-focused approach it had employed in the past.<ref name="Boyer" /> Nintendo portrayed the system as a type of virtual reality, as its name indicates. Nintendo also focused on the technological aspects of the new console in its press releases, neglecting to detail specific games.<ref name="Boyer" />

Challenged by showing three-dimensional gameplay on two-dimensional advertisements, the company partnered with [[Blockbuster (retailer)|Blockbuster]] and [[NBC]].<ref name="Boyer" /><ref name="GPro83">{{cite magazine|date=August 1995|title=At the Deadline|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_073_August_1995/page/n119/mode/2up|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|issue=83|page=118}}</ref> A {{US$|5 million|long=no}} campaign promoted NBC's late 1995 lineup alongside the Virtual Boy.<ref name="NYT addenda">{{cite news |first=Elliott |last=Stuart |title=THE MEDIA BUSINESS: ADVERTISING -- ADDENDA; CBS and NBC Take Promotion Partners |work=New York Times |date=June 1, 1995 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/08/business/media-business-advertising-addenda-good-war-comes-good-marketing-opportunities.html |access-date=August 25, 2020 |archive-date=May 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526142523/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/08/business/media-business-advertising-addenda-good-war-comes-good-marketing-opportunities.html |url-status=live }}</ref> American viewers were encouraged via television advertisements on NBC to rent the console for $10 at a local Blockbuster. This affordable demonstration<ref name="Boyer" /> provided 750,000 consoles for rent, some in a clamshell Blockbuster case.<ref name="Mediaweek">{{cite news|title=Nintendo/Nickelodeon/Blockbuster|work=Mediaweek|volume=6|issue=30|date=1996|pages=36–|publisher=ABI/INFORM Global|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/213638266|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207095415/https://www.proquest.com/docview/213638266/3957B3B8A4424A83PQ|id={{ProQuest|213638266}} |url-status=live}}</ref> Upon returning the unit, renters received a coupon for $10 off its purchase from any store.<ref name="GPro83"/><ref name=BB>{{cite magazine|title=Vid Game Promos As Entertaining As Game|last=Gillen|first=Marilyn A.|date=August 26, 1995|magazine=Billboard|page=98|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98|via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207095407/https://books.google.com/books?id=wAsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA98|url-status=live}}</ref> The promotion included 3,000 Blockbuster locations, and sweepstakes with prizes including trips to see the taping of NBC shows.<ref name="NYT addenda" /> The popular rental system proved harmful to the Virtual Boy's long-term success, allowing gamers to see just how non-immersive the console was.<ref name="Boyer" /> By mid-1996, Blockbuster was selling its Virtual Boy units at $50 each.<ref name="EGM86">{{cite magazine|date=September 1996|title=Gaming Gossip|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/2/2e/EGM_US_086.pdf|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=86|page=34|access-date=September 12, 2020|archive-date=August 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821193530/https://retrocdn.net/images/2/2e/EGM_US_086.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The marketing campaign overall was commonly thought of as a failure.<ref name="Tomb Space">{{cite book |last1=King |first1=Geoff |last2=Krzywinska |first2=Tanya |year=2006 |title=Tomb Raiders and Space Invaders : Videogame Forms and Contexts}}</ref>

==Hardware==
The [[central processing unit|CPU]] is an [[NEC]] [[V850#V810 (obsoleted)|V810]] 32-bit [[RISC]] chip,<ref name="GPro67"/> making the Virtual Boy Nintendo's first 32-bit system.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario" /> The Virtual Boy system uses a pair of 1×224 linear arrays (one per eye) and rapidly scans the array across the eye's field of view using flat oscillating mirrors. These mirrors vibrate back and forth at a very high speed, thus the mechanical humming noise from inside the unit. Each Virtual Boy game cartridge has a yes/no option to automatically pause every 15–30 minutes so that the player may take a break before any injuries come to the eyes. One speaker per ear provides the player with stereo audio.<ref name="Powell">{{cite news|last=Powell | first=Doug|title=A Virtual Backlash|work=Computing Canada|date=December 21, 1994|pages=1, 4|publisher=ABI/INFORM Global}}</ref>

===Display===
[[File:Virtual-Boy-Eyes.jpg|thumb|The screens of the Virtual Boy]]
The Virtual Boy is the first video game console capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D graphics, marketed as a form of virtual reality.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/tag/virtual-boy |title=Virtual boy News, Videos, Reviews and Gossip |website=Gizmodo |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150428003847/http://gizmodo.com/tag/virtual-boy |archive-date=April 28, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> Whereas most video games use [[monocular cues]] to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional screen, the Virtual Boy creates an illusion of depth through the effect known as [[parallax]]. Like using a [[head-mounted display]], the user looks into an eyeshade made of [[neoprene]] on the front of the machine, and then an eyeglass-style projector allows viewing of the [[Grayscale|monochromatic]] red image.

The display consists of two two-bit (four shade) monochrome red screens of 384×224 pixels<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.engadget.com/2011-03-21-nintendo-virtual-boy-review.html | title=Nintendo Virtual Boy review | first=Tim | last=Stevens | date=March 21, 2011 | website=Engadget | access-date=August 30, 2020 | archive-date=April 8, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408081117/https://www.engadget.com/2011-03-21-nintendo-virtual-boy-review.html | url-status=live }}</ref> and a [[frame rate]] of approximately 50.27 [[Hertz|Hz]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |title=Platform Framerates |website=tasvideos.org |access-date=March 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229184750/http://tasvideos.org/PlatformFramerates.html |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> It uses an oscillating mirror to transform a single column of 224 red LEDs into a full field of pixels. Nintendo claimed that a color display would have made "jumpy" images and have been too expensive.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario" /> A color display would have required red, green, and blue LEDs; blue LEDs were then considerably expensive. This, plus the other drawbacks, influenced the decision for monochrome.

===Controller===
[[File:Virtual-Boy-Controller.jpg|thumb|The Virtual Boy controller, and battery pack instead of AC adaptor]]
The Virtual Boy is meant for the player to be seated at a table,<ref name="NYT Nintendo counts" /><ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 1995|title=Virtual Places in Small Spaces|page=24|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=68|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/GamePro_US_068.pdf|access-date=September 12, 2020|archive-date=January 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113193151/https://retrocdn.net/images/0/07/GamePro_US_068.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> and Nintendo promised but did not release a harness to wear while standing.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario">{{cite news|first=Kevin|last=Rafferty|title=Super Mario Takes Leap into Three Dimensional Space|newspaper=The Guardian|page=0|date=November 16, 1994|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/294877556|access-date=August 25, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207095416/https://www.proquest.com/docview/294877556/4C825E3013B347F4PQ|id={{ProQuest|294877556}} |url-status=live}}</ref>

The Virtual Boy's heavy emphasis on three-dimensional movement requires the controller to operate along a Z-axis. Its controller is an attempt to implement dual digital [[D-pad]]s to control elements in the 3D environment. The controller is M-shaped, reminiscent of the [[Nintendo 64 controller]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mynintendonews.com/2013/11/30/digital-foundry-vita-remote-play-isnt-quite-as-good-as-the-wii-u-gamepad/ |title=Digital Foundry: Vita Remote Play Isn't Quite As Good As The Wii U GamePad |publisher=My Nintendo News |date=November 30, 2013 |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714204236/http://mynintendonews.com/2013/11/30/digital-foundry-vita-remote-play-isnt-quite-as-good-as-the-wii-u-gamepad/ |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> The player holds onto either side of the controller which has a unique extendable power supply that slides onto the back, housing the system's six [[AA batteries]]. The batteries can be substituted with a wall adapter, via a "slide-on" attachment for constant power.

In more traditional two-dimensional games, the two directional pads are interchangeable.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/03/feature_the_making_of_the_nintendo_virtual_boy |title=Feature: The Making of the Nintendo Virtual Boy – Retro News @ Nintendo Life |date=March 26, 2010 |publisher=Nintendolife.com |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116051432/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2010/03/feature_the_making_of_the_nintendo_virtual_boy |archive-date=January 16, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> For others with a more 3D environment, like ''[[Red Alarm]]'', ''[[3D Tetris]]'', or ''[[Teleroboxer]]'', each pad controls a different feature. The symmetry of the controller also allows left-handed gamers to reverse the controls, as does the [[Atari Lynx]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HaP1LUYyvT4C&q=%22atari+lynx%22+interchangeable+pads&pg=PT137 |title=The Official GameSalad Guide to Game Development |via=Google Books |date=April 12, 2013 |access-date=June 20, 2014 |isbn=978-1133605645 |publisher=Gamesalad |last1=Novak |first1=Jeannie |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207095409/https://books.google.com/books?id=HaP1LUYyvT4C&q=%22atari+lynx%22+interchangeable+pads&pg=PT137 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Connectivity===
During development, Nintendo promised the ability to link systems for competitive play.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario"/> A Virtual Boy link cable was being worked on at Nintendo as late as the third quarter of 1996.<ref name="EGM86"/> The system's EXT (extension) port, located on the underside of the system below the controller port, was never officially supported because no "official" multiplayer games were ever published. Two games were intended to use the EXT port for multiplayer play, but the multiplayer features were removed from ''Waterworld''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vr32.de/modules/interviews/?3 |title=Steve Woita « Interviews « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Vr32.de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109190056/http://www.vr32.de/modules/interviews/?3|archive-date=November 9, 2007 |date=November 23, 1993 |access-date=October 17, 2013}}</ref> and ''Faceball'' was canceled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/?u005g |title=Faceball « Games « Planet Virtual Boy |publisher=Planetvb.com |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140703233012/http://www.planetvb.com/modules/games/?u005g |archive-date=July 3, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!--

===Hardware specifications===

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
|+ Hardware specifications
|-
! Processor
| Customized NEC V810 (NVC, P/N uPD70732)<br/>32-bit RISC processor @ 20&nbsp;MHz (18{{nbsp}}MIPS), 1{{nbsp}}KiB instruction cache
|-
! Memory
| 128{{nbsp}}KiB dual-port VRAM<br/>128{{nbsp}}KiB of DRAM<br/>64{{nbsp}}KiB [[dynamic random access memory#Window DRAM (WRAM)|WRAM]] ([[dynamic random access memory#Pseudostatic RAM (PSRAM)|PSRAM]])
|-
! Display <br/>× 2
| Reflection Technologies Inc. SLA Model P4, monochromatic red, LED display<br/>384 × 224 pixel resolution (produced by mechanically scanning each 1 × 224 LED array)<br/>Four simultaneous shades per 4-pixel column (black + 3 red, of approximately 128 levels of intensity)<br/>50&nbsp;Hz<ref name="Tech Scroll">
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.planetvb.com/content/downloads/documents/stsvb.html#vipoverview
 |title=Virtual Boy Sacred Tech Scroll – Virtual Boy Specifications
 |access-date=January 21, 2013
 |author=Guy Perfect
 |date=January 4, 2013
}}</ref> double-buffered frame rate
[[File:Spectrum_of_Virtual_Boy.png|thumb|A color mapping of the true spectrum of colors on the Virtual Boy before the LED shading.]] This "color spectrum" has no basis in reality, whatsoever. Source: I've been a VB developer for over a decade.
|-
! Power
|
6 × AA batteries or 10{{nbsp}}V DC at 350{{nbsp}}mA AC adapter/tap<br/>(third-party performance adaptor DC 9{{nbsp}}V 500{{nbsp}}mA)
|-
! Sound
| Custom "Virtual Sound Unit",<ref name="Virtual Sound">
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.planetvb.com/content/downloads/documents/stsvb.html#virtualsoundunitvsu
 |title=Virtual Boy Sacred Tech Scroll – Virtual Boy Specifications
 |access-date=March 14, 2017
 |author=Guy Perfect
 |date=March 14, 2017
}}</ref> 5 × wave channels, 1 × noise channel, 10-bit stereo output
|-
! Controller
| 6 buttons and 2 D-pads, using [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] controller protocol
|-
! Serial port
| 8-pin cable with 8-bit serial transfer
|-
! Hardware <br/>part <br/>numbers
| {{unbulleted list
 | VUE-001 Virtual Boy Unit
 | VUE-003 Stand
 | VUE-005 Controller
 | VUE-006 Game Pak
 | VUE-007 Battery Pack
 | VUE-010 Eyeshade
 | VUE-011 AC Adapter Tap ("Use With Super NES AC Adapter No. SNS-002 Only")
 | VUE-012 Eyeshade Holder
 | VUE-014 Red & Black Stereo Headphones
 }}
|-
! Weight
| 750&nbsp;grams
|-
! Dimensions <br/>(H × W × D)
| {{convert|8.5|in|abbr=on}} × {{convert|10|in|abbr=on}} × {{convert|4.3|in|abbr=on}}
|}

===Cartridge specifications===
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
|+'''Cartridge specifications'''
|128 [[Mbit|megabit]] addressable ROM space (4–16 [[Mbit|megabit]] ROM used in released games)<br/> 128 [[Mbit|megabit]] addressable RAM space (0–8 [[kilobyte]] Battery Backed RAM in released games)<br/>128 [[Mbit|megabit]] addressable expansion space (unused in any released games)<br/> CPU interrupt available from the cartridge<br/>Left and right audio signals pass through cartridge<br/> 60-pin connector
|}
{{clear}}-->

== Games ==
{{Main|List of Virtual Boy games}}
[[File:Mario's Tennis screenshot.png|thumb|''[[Mario's Tennis]]'', the North American pack-in for Virtual Boy, is converted by an [[Video game console emulator|emulator]] to anaglyphic red and blue format, to simulate the Virtual Boy's stereoscopic display on a 2D display.<br />{{3d glasses}}]]
Nintendo initially showcased three [[launch game]]s and planned two or three per month thereafter.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario"/> Given the system's short lifespan, only 22 games were actually released. Of them, 19 games were released in the Japanese market, and 14 were released in [[North America]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kolan |first=Patrick |title=IGN Retro: Virtual Boy's Best Games |publisher=IGN |date=January 14, 2008 |access-date=January 21, 2009 |url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/845/845487p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123101614/http://retro.ign.com/articles/845/845487p1.html |archive-date=January 23, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> Third party support was extremely limited compared to previous Nintendo platforms. According to [[Gunpei Yokoi]], Nintendo president [[Hiroshi Yamauchi]] had dictated that only a select few third-party developers be shown the Virtual Boy hardware before its formal unveiling, to limit the risk of poor-quality software appearing on the system.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 1995|title=An Audience with... Gumpei Yokoi |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=4|pages=44–46 |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-004/page/n45/mode/2up}}</ref>

When asked if Virtual Boy games were going to be available for download on the [[Virtual Console]] for the [[Nintendo 3DS]], Nintendo of America President [[Reggie Fils-Aimé]] said he could not answer, as he was unfamiliar with the platform. He noted that, given his lack of familiarity, he would be hard-pressed to make the case for the inclusion of the games on the Virtual Console.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/#!5690257/argue-for-a-virtual-boy-store-on-the-nintendo-3ds-if-you-can|title=Kotaku – The Gamer's Guide|publisher=Gawker Media|work=Kotaku|access-date=December 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106085901/http://kotaku.com/#!5690257/argue-for-a-virtual-boy-store-on-the-nintendo-3ds-if-you-can|archive-date=November 6, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

The hobbyist community at ''Planet Virtual Boy'' has developed Virtual Boy software.<ref name="Boyer" /> Two previously unreleased games, ''[[Bound High]]'' and ''Niko-Chan Battle'' (the Japanese version of ''[[Faceball]]'') were released.

==Reception==
[[File:Virtual Boy - Akihabara, Otaku Style.jpg|thumb|Using the Virtual Boy eyepiece]]
The Virtual Boy garnered negative critical reviews and was a [[List of commercial failures in video games|commercial failure]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Lisa Foiles |date=March 1, 2011 |title=Top 5 Hardware Super Fails |work=The Escapist |url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/top-5-with-lisa-foiles/2796-Top-5-Hardware-Super-Fails |access-date=June 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707201630/http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/top-5-with-lisa-foiles/2796-Top-5-Hardware-Super-Fails |archive-date=July 7, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> It failed for several reasons including "its high price, the discomfort caused by play [...] and what was widely judged to have been a poorly handled marketing campaign".<ref name="Tomb Space" />

Gamers who previewed the system at the [[Nintendo Space World#Shoshinkai 1994|Shoshinkai 1994]] [[trade show]] complained that the ''Mario'' demo was not realistic enough, was not in full color, and didn't [[Match moving|motion-track]] the image when players turn their heads.<ref name="Guardian Super Mario" /> In the lead editorial of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' following the show, Ed Semrad predicted that the Virtual Boy would have poor launch sales due to the monochrome screen, lack of true portability, unimpressive lineup of games, and the price, which he argued was as low as it could get given the hardware but still too expensive for the experience.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Semrad|first=Ed|date=January 1995|title=Nintendo Stumbles with Virtual Boy Intro!|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8d/EGM_US_066.pdf|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=66|page=6|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-date=October 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007040332/https://retrocdn.net/images/8/8d/EGM_US_066.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]''{{'}}s editors were also dubious of the Virtual Boy's prospects after the show, and concluded their article on the system by commenting, "But who will buy it? It's not portable, it's awkward to use, it's 100% antisocial (unlike multiplayer [[SNES]]/[[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] games), it's too expensive and – most importantly – the 'VR' (i.e. 3D effect) doesn't add to the game at all: it's just a novelty."<ref>{{cite magazine|date=March 1995|title=Nintendo Pins Hopes on Virtual Boy|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=3|pages=20–21 |url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-003/page/n21/mode/2up}}</ref>

Following its release, reviews of the Virtual Boy tended to praise its novelty but questioned its ultimate purpose and longtime viability. ''[[The Los Angeles Times]]'' described the gameplay as being "at once familiar and strange".<ref name="LAT" /> The column praised the quality of motion and immersive graphics but considered the hardware tedious to use and non-portable. In a later column, the same reviewer found the system to be somewhat [[asociality|asocial]], but held hope for its future.<ref name="LAT2">{{cite news|last=Curtiss|first=Aaron|title=VALLEY WEEKEND; Nintendo Virtual Boy Measures Up to Billing; as its Library of Titles Slowly Grows, the 3-D System is Becoming More Well-Rounded and Less of a Headache|page=15|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 2, 1996|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/293327145|access-date=August 26, 2020|archive-date=February 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207095409/https://www.proquest.com/docview/293327145/F8C1FD056543408EPQ|id={{ProQuest|293327145}} |url-status=live}}</ref> Reviewing the system shortly after its North American launch, ''Next Generation'' said, "Unusual and innovative, the Virtual Boy can be seen as a gamble in the same way that the [[Game Boy]] was, but it's a lot harder to see the VB succeeding to the same world-conquering extent that the Game Boy did." They elaborated that while the sharp display and unique 3D effect are impressive, aspects such as the monochrome display and potential vision damage to young gamers severely limit the system's appeal. They added that the software library was decent, but failed to capitalize on Nintendo's best-selling franchises because games from ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'' and ''[[Metroid]]'' were absent, the ''Mario'' games were not in the same style as the series's most successful installments, and it lacked a system seller to compare with the Game Boy's ''[[Tetris (Game Boy)|Tetris]]''.<ref name="NGen12">{{cite magazine|title=Which Game System is the Best!?|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=12|date=December 1995|pages=36–85|url=https://www.retromags.com/magazines/usa/next-generation/next-generation-issue-12/|access-date=August 26, 2020|archive-date=August 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809173346/https://www.retromags.com/magazines/usa/next-generation/next-generation-issue-12/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Though Nintendo had promised a virtual reality experience, the monochrome display limits the Virtual Boy's potential for immersion.<ref name="Boyer" /><ref name="NGen12"/> Reviewers often considered the three-dimensional features a gimmick, added to games that were essentially two-<ref name="Boyer" /> or even one-dimensional.<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news|last=Frischling | first=Bill|title=Sideline Play|newspaper=The Washington Post|page=11|date=October 25, 1995}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said that even when a game gives the impression of three-dimensionality, it suffers from "hollow vector graphics".<ref name="WaPo" /> Yokoi, the system's inventor, said the system did best with action and puzzle games,<ref name="NGen12"/> although those types of games provided only minimal immersion. Multiple critics<ref name="Boyer" /><ref name="Tomb Space" /> lamented the absence of [[Match moving|head-tracking]] in the Virtual Boy hardware. Critics found that, as a result, players were unable to immerse themselves in the game worlds of Virtual Boy games. Instead, they interacted simply via a controller, in the manner of any traditional two-dimensional game. Boyer said the console "struggles to merge the two distinct media forms of home consoles and virtual reality devices". Though the device employs some basic virtual reality techniques, it does so like the traditional home console with no bodily feedback incorporated into gameplay.<ref name="Boyer" />

Many reviewers complained of painful and frustrating physiological symptoms when playing the Virtual Boy. Bill Frischling, writing for ''[[The Washington Post]]'', experienced "dizziness, nausea and headaches".<ref name="WaPo" /> Reviewers attributed the problems to both the monochromatic display and uncomfortable ergonomics. Several prominent scientists concluded that the long-term side effects could be more serious, and articles published in magazines such as ''[[Electronic Engineering Times]]'' and [[CMP Media]]'s ''TechWeb'' speculated that using any immersive headset such as the Virtual Boy could cause sickness, [[Flashback (psychology)|flashbacks]], and even [[permanent brain damage]].<ref>{{cite magazine|date=September 1995|title=VR Headsets Get Warning|url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_074_September_1995/page/n141/mode/2up|magazine=[[GamePro]]|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|issue=84|page=140}}</ref> Nintendo, in the years after Virtual Boy's demise, has been frank about its failure. [[Howard Lincoln]], chairman of [[Nintendo of America]], said flatly that the Virtual Boy "just failed".<ref name="Boyer" />

==Legacy==
According to ''Game Over'', Nintendo blamed the machine's faults directly on its creator, Gunpei Yokoi.<ref name="Game Over by David Sheff"/> The commercial failure of the Virtual Boy was reportedly a contributing factor to Yokoi's withdrawal from Nintendo, although he had already planned to retire years prior and then finished the successful Game Boy Pocket, which was released shortly before his departure.<ref name="N-Sider Profiles">{{cite web|url=http://www.n-sider.com/contentview.php?contentid=222|title=N-Sider Profiles|access-date=August 19, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040404130954/http://n-sider.com/articleview.php?articleid=270|archive-date=April 4, 2004|url-status=live}}</ref> According to his Nintendo and Koto colleague Yoshihiro Taki, Yokoi had originally decided to retire at age 50 to do as he pleased but had simply delayed it.<ref name="Nintendo Magic">{{cite book | first=Osamu | last=Inoue | others=Paul Tuttle Starr (translator) | date=April 27, 2010 | title=Nintendo Magic: Winning the Videogame Wars | publisher=Vertical | isbn=978-1934287224 }}</ref> Nintendo held that Yokoi's departure was "absolutely coincidental" to the market performance of any Nintendo hardware.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=November 1996|title=Nintendo's Leap into the Unknown|url=https://retrocdn.net/images/e/ed/NextGeneration_US_23.pdf|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|issue=23|page=16|access-date=September 13, 2020|archive-date=June 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210622012540/https://retrocdn.net/images/e/ed/NextGeneration_US_23.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The New York Times'' maintained that Yokoi kept a close relationship with Nintendo.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E4D7173CF93AA35753C1A961958260 | title=Gunpei Yokoi, Chief Designer Of Game Boy, Is Dead at 56 | access-date=August 19, 2008 | work=The New York Times | first=Andrew | last=Pollack | date=October 9, 1997 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130092138/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D05E4D7173CF93AA35753C1A961958260 | archive-date=January 30, 2009 | url-status=live }}</ref> After leaving Nintendo, Yokoi founded his own company, Koto, and collaborated with [[Bandai]] to create the [[WonderSwan]], a handheld system competing with the Game Boy.

The console's focus on peripherals and haptic technology reemerged in later years.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Anonymous |title=Introduction |magazine=[[Velvet Light Trap]] |issue=64 |date=Fall 2009 |pages=1–2 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/222843422 |id={{ProQuest|222843422}} |access-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-date=February 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230207095407/https://www.proquest.com/docview/222843422 |url-status=live }}</ref> The original inventor, Reflection Technology, Inc., was reportedly financially "devastated" by the Virtual Boy's performance, with dwindling operations by 1997.<ref name="Unraveling the Enigma"/>

The [[Nintendo 3DS]] console was launched in 2011, as a handheld gaming console with [[Autostereoscopy|autostereoscopic]] 3D visuals, without any special glasses. Prior to launch, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] discussed the Virtual Boy. He said it renders wireframe graphics, but its effects are generally used for two-dimensional games with depth-separated planes. He stated that the graphics are not as appealing, and while developing the [[Nintendo 64]], he had ruled out the use of wireframe graphics as too sparse to draw player characters. Finally, he stated that he perceived the Virtual Boy as a novelty that should not have used the Nintendo license so prominently.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/0/1 |title=Shigeru Miyamoto Talks About Virtual Boy |publisher=Iwataasks.nintendo.com |access-date=July 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622234955/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/how-nintendo-3ds-made/0/1 |archive-date=June 22, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In February 2016, [[Tatsumi Kimishima]] stated that Nintendo was "looking into" virtual reality but also explained that it would take more time and effort for them to assess the technology,<ref>{{cite tweet|user=mochi_wsj|author=Takashi Mochizuki|number=694530845365768194|date=February 2, 2016|title=(cont'd) I guess Nintendo isn't planning anything VR in the near future because he said more time and efforts needed to assess technology.|access-date=October 10, 2017}}</ref> and in a February 2017 interview with [[The Nikkei|Nikkei]], he stated that the company was "studying" VR, and would add it to the [[Nintendo Switch]] once it is figured out how users can play for long durations without any issues.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=serkantoto|author=Dr. Serkan Toto|number=826841955111890944|date=February 1, 2017|title=Just in: Nintendo president Kimishima tells the Nikkei Switch's online service will be priced at 2-3,000 yen ($17.50 – $26.50) *YEARLY*.|access-date=October 10, 2017}}</ref> Nintendo introduced a VR accessory for the Switch as part of [[Nintendo Labo|Labo]], a line of player-assembled cardboard toys leveraging the console's hardware and [[Joy-Con]] controllers. In this case, the console's screen is viewed through goggles containing stereoscopic lenses.<ref>{{cite web |last=Marshall |first=Cass |date=March 6, 2019 |title=Nintendo brings VR to Switch with new Labo kit |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/6/18254014/nintendo-switch-vr-labo-kit-release-date |access-date=March 6, 2019 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref>

Hobbyists adapted Virtual Boy to other displays. [[video game console emulator|Emulation]] enabled modern stereoscopic goggles such as [[Google Cardboard]], [[Samsung Gear VR]] and [[Oculus Rift]] in 2016.<ref name="VB GC">{{cite news | title=Hack Lets You Play Virtual Boy Games Through Google Cardboard | first=Andrew | last=Liszewski | date=May 9, 2016 | work=Gizmodo | url=https://gizmodo.com/you-can-now-play-virtual-boy-games-through-google-cardb-1775499205 | access-date=September 1, 2020 | archive-date=November 8, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108104130/http://gizmodo.com/you-can-now-play-virtual-boy-games-through-google-cardb-1775499205 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="VB Oculus">{{cite web | date=March 31, 2016 | url=https://www.emucr.com/2016/03/vbjin-ovr-v30.html | title=VBjin-OVR v3.0 - EmuCR | access-date=July 23, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200119082638/http://www.emucr.com:80/2016/03/vbjin-ovr-v30.html | archive-date=January 19, 2020 | url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, hobbyist Furrtek released a board that replaces the display circuitry, allowing the Virtual Boy to be played on a VGA monitor or television set.<ref name="VB TV">{{cite news | title=Random: This Mod Turns The Virtual Boy Into A Proper Console You Can Play On Your Television | first=Liam | last=Doolan | date=January 28, 2020 | work=NintendoLife | url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/01/random_this_mod_turns_the_virtual_boy_into_a_proper_console_you_can_play_on_your_television | access-date=September 1, 2020 | archive-date=September 22, 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922111512/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/01/random_this_mod_turns_the_virtual_boy_into_a_proper_console_you_can_play_on_your_television | url-status=live }}</ref> On February 25, 2024, a [[Homebrew (video games)|homebrew]] Virtual Boy emulator for the Nintendo 3DS was released, named "Red Viper", which made it possible to play the Virtual Boy library using stereoscopic 3D.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/02/3ds-virtual-boy-emulation-gives-you-3d-without-the-headaches|title=3ds virtual boy emulation gives you 3d without the Headaches |date=February 26, 2024 |publisher=Time extension |access-date=February 26, 2024  }}</ref>

Nintendo has referenced the Virtual Boy in other games, such as ''[[Tomodachi Life]]''—where a trailer for the [[life simulation game]] includes a scene of several [[Mii]] characters humorously worshipping the Virtual Boy.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-10-nintendos-very-bizarre-tomodachi-life-video |title=Nintendo's very bizarre Tomodachi Life video|last=Purchese|first=Robert|date=April 10, 2014 |website=Eurogamer|access-date=September 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929213733/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-04-10-nintendos-very-bizarre-tomodachi-life-video|archive-date=September 29, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/215236/Nintendo_goes_offbeat_with_Tomodachi_Life_marketing_video.php |title=Nintendo goes offbeat with Tomodachi Life marketing video|last=Wawro|first=Alex|website=Gamasutra |date=April 10, 2014|access-date=September 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929213733/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/215236/Nintendo_goes_offbeat_with_Tomodachi_Life_marketing_video.php|archive-date=September 29, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> In ''[[Luigi's Mansion 3]]'', [[Luigi (character)|Luigi]] uses a device by [[Professor E. Gadd]] known as the "Virtual Boo" to access maps and other information in-game (succeeding the use of devices referencing the [[Game Boy Color]] and first-generation [[Nintendo DS]] in previous installments). Its menus use a red and black color scheme, with E. Gadd optimistically boasting that the device would "fly off the shelves".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/luigis-latest-parody-nintendo-console-is-the-best-one-y-1839072375|title=Luigi's Latest Parody Nintendo Console Is The Best One Yet|website=Kotaku|date=October 16, 2019 |access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031081418/https://kotaku.com/luigis-latest-parody-nintendo-console-is-the-best-one-y-1839072375|archive-date=October 31, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2024, Virtual Boy merchandise is sold at the [[Nintendo Museum]] in Kyoto, Japan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McFerran |first=Damien |date=September 26, 2024 |title=Yes, You Can Buy Virtual Boy Merch At The Nintendo Museum |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/09/yes-you-can-buy-virtual-boy-merch-at-the-nintendo-museum |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926101141/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/09/yes-you-can-buy-virtual-boy-merch-at-the-nintendo-museum |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |access-date=September 26, 2024 |website=Time Extension}}</ref>

On September 12, 2025, Nintendo announced that it would be re-releasing Virtual Boy games through the [[Nintendo Classics]] service, available to subscribers of the [[Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack]] service for the [[Nintendo Switch]] and [[Nintendo Switch 2]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Peckham |first=James |date=September 12, 2025 |title=Nintendo's New Virtual Boy Is Made For the Switch |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/nintendos-new-virtual-boy-is-made-for-the-switch |access-date=September 12, 2025 |magazine=[[PCMag]]}}</ref> Playing these games will require an enclosure that the Switch console is inserted into: either cardboard goggles not unlike the previous Labo kits, or alternatively an accessory based on the design of the Virtual Boy hardware.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Andy |date=September 12, 2025 |title=Nintendo Switch is getting a Virtual Boy accessory and Switch Online games |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/nintendo-switch-is-getting-a-virtual-boy-accessory-and-switch-online-games/ |access-date=September 12, 2025 |website=[[Video Games Chronicle]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/virtual-boy-nintendo-classics-announced-for-switch-1-and-2-at-nintendo-direct | title = Virtual Boy Nintendo Classics Announced for Switch 1 and 2 at Nintendo Direct | first = Wesley | last = Yin-Poole | date = September 12, 2025 | accessdate = September 12, 2025 | work = [[IGN]] }}</ref> The first games are planned to launch on February 17, 2026, with 15 games planned to be added to the service over time (only 14 in non-Japanese regions).<ref>{{cite web | title=「Switch Online 追加パック」になんと「バーチャルボーイ」が追加【ニンダイ】 プレイ用の別売り専用ハードもリリース決定 | website=GAME Watch | date=September 12, 2025 | url=https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/2047281.html | language=ja | access-date=September 12, 2025}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Video games|1990s}}
*[[Entex Adventure Vision]], a 1982 video game console with similar mechanical operation
*[[Famicom 3D System]]
*[[R-Zone]], a 1995 [[handheld game console]] released by [[Tiger Electronics]]
*[[Sega VR]], a 1993 prototype [[virtual reality]] add-on for the [[Sega Genesis]]
*[[Virtual reality]]
*[[Virtuality (gaming)|Virtuality]], virtual reality-based arcade games of the 1990s

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book | last1=Yokoi | first1=Gunpei | last2=Makino | first2=Takefumi | title={{nihongo|Yokoi Gunpei Game House|横井軍平ゲーム館|Yokoi Gunpei Gēmu-kan}} | publisher=ASCII | date=May 1997| isbn=978-4-89366-696-3}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Virtual Boy}}
*{{Official website|url=https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/virtualboy/index.jsp}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.nintendo.com/systemsclassic?type=vb archived versions] at the [[Digital time capsule|Internet Archive Wayback Machine]])
*[http://www.planetvb.com/modules/hardware/index.php?type=vb&sec=specs Virtual Boy Hardware Specifications] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708015514/http://www.planetvb.com/modules/hardware/index.php?type=vb&sec=specs |date=July 8, 2018 }} at Planet Virtual Boy
*[http://www.planetvb.com/content/downloads/documents/stsvb.html Virtual Boy Programming Documentation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708015352/https://www.planetvb.com/content/downloads/documents/stsvb.html |date=July 8, 2018 }} at Planet Virtual Boy

{{Virtual Boy}}
{{Nintendo hardware}}
{{Fifth generation game consoles}}
{{Mixed reality}}

[[Category:Virtual Boy| ]]
[[Category:Products introduced in 1995]]
[[Category:Products and services discontinued in 1996]]
[[Category:Fifth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Regionless game consoles]]
[[Category:Head-mounted displays]]
[[Category:Monochrome video game consoles]]
[[Category:Discontinued handheld game consoles]]