Nintendo’s getting into virtual reality, but not in the way you might expect. Today, the gaming giant announced the latest in its Labo line of DIY cardboard accessories, which turns the Nintendo Switch into a makeshift VR kit. As with previous Labo sets, there are a few options to choose from. The main VR kit costs $79.99 and includes six different cardboard kits to build, including VR goggles, a blaster, a camera, and an... elephant, as well as a screen holder and “safety cap.” For those looking to spend a bit less, there’s also a basic starter kit that includes just the goggles and blaster for $39.99. Additional accessories like the elephant can be purchased late in $20 sets. The kits will include Labo software, which features games, step-by-step instructions, and the “garage” mode for building your own Labo creations. Grid View “We wanted to design an experience that encourages both virtual and real-world interactions among players through passing around Toy-Con creations,” Doug Bowser, incoming Nintendo of America president, explained in a statement. Labo first debuted back in April, offering a distinctly Nintendo take on DIY. Since then, Nintendo has released a few new kits and introduced Labo to schools, though the company has said in the past that it doesn’t believe the initiative has reached its full potential yet. “We want to get to a demographic that’s not traditionally reached by games at all,” Nintendo EPD general manager Shinya Takahashi told The Verge back at E3. “I think the case with Nintendo Labo right now is that there are some people who know about it, and quite a lot of potential still for us to explore.” The new VR kits will be available starting on April 12th.<doc-sep>Nintendo The last time Nintendo got close to VR was with the Virtual Boy back in 1995. Now, the Nintendo Switch is really, truly going to be a VR platform... with a pair of cardboard goggles, as part of a Nintendo Labo kit. Nintendo just announced the Nintendo Labo: VR Kit, the company's latest entry into its ongoing Labo series of foldable cardboard kits for Nintendo Switch. The new kit, arriving April 12, is being sold in several packs this time: an $80 all-in kit with a variety of unusual add-ons, plus VR goggles, or broken up into smaller-priced packs at $40 for the basic goggles and $20 for two sets of extras. The VR kit has a pair of Toy-Con cardboard goggles, a Toy-Con Blaster, a Toy-Con Camera, a Toy-Con Elephant, a Toy-Con Bird, and a Toy-Con Wind Pedal. While the VR goggles will work with all of these, the extras look like they'll work as really bizarre VR controllers. The set says it's made for ages 6 and up for the construction, and 7 and up for the in-VR experiences. Google Cardboard, the original cardboard VR goggles, was also aimed at younger-aged kids than most other VR platforms because of its more casual ViewMaster-type design. Rumors of a "VR mode" on the Nintendo Switch have been around since last year. And, hey, I wondered about Nintendo getting into VR back in 2015.<doc-sep>It's been rumored for years, but now the Switch console is finally getting virtual reality support by way of Nintendo Labo. The complete Nintendo Labo: VR Kit, priced at $79.99 (roughly £60 / AU$113), comes bundled with VR goggles and software, along with five cardboard sets, including Wind Pedal, Camera, Elephant, Bird and Blaster. Read more: Nintendo Labo VR Kit review Nintendo is also offering a Starter Kit, priced at $39.99 (about £30 / AU$57) that includes just the googles and Blaster design. Two additional expansion packs (Camera + Elephant, or Bird + Wind Pedal) will be available to purchase at a later date for $19.99 (around £15 / AU$28). Labo VR Starter Kit (image credit: Nintendo) “We wanted to design an experience that encourages both virtual and real-world interactions among players through passing around Toy-Con creations,” said newly-appointed Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser. Nintendo's two Labo VR sets will be available in the US from April 12, 2019, with releases in the UK and Australia expected to arrive around the same time.<doc-sep>
Nintendo’s latest Labo kit fuses DIY cardboard construction projects with virtual reality, promising a simple and shareable VR experience for kids and families. The Nintendo Labo: VR Kit comes out Apr. 12. It costs $80 and it includes the Nintendo Labo software, six new Toy-Con creations: the Toy-Con VR Goggles, Toy-Con Blaster, Toy-Con Camera, Toy-Con Bird, Toy-Con Wind Pedal and Toy-Con Elephant — as well as a screen holder and safety cap. A second Nintendo Labo: VR Kit is a starter set that comes with the Toy-Con Blaster. It costs $40 and includes the Nintendo Labo software, the Toy-Con VR Goggles, the aforementioned blaster, the screen holder, and the safety cap. The Nintendo Labo: VR Kit Starter Kit will also launch with two optional expansion sets for $20 each. The first includes the Toy-Con Elephant and Toy-Con Camera, while the second has the Toy-Con Wind Pedal and Toy-Con Bird. While the VR Kit will be available in stores next month, the two expansions will be available online only. The VR Kit is designed to be passed around and shared among a group of people, Nintendo said. To help encourage this social gameplay, people can simply slip the Nintendo Switch console into the Toy-Con VR Goggles and hold it up to their eyes to play a variety of games. Unlike other VR devices, it doesn’t require a headset. “This new kit builds on the core tenets of Nintendo Labo — make, play, and discover — to introduce virtual reality in a way that’s fun and approachable for both kids and kids at heart,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “We wanted to design an experience that encourages both virtual and real-world interactions among players through passing around Toy-Con creations.” Nintendo said it will offer more information about other VR experiences in the future.