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I love the Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy because it sucks so much

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“Bad on purpose” is a dangerous tightrope to walk. Usually, the end result is something that looks like it’s trying too hard or thinks it’s funnier than it actually is. However, Nintendo’s new Virtual Boy accessory for Switch and Switch 2 manages to pull this off.

That’s because, instead of making something useless, Nintendo took something that was useless in the mid-90s and faithfully recreated it for the sake of artistic preservation. It’s retro nerdiness purely for the love of the game.

In 1995, the Virtual Boy was (and remains) Nintendo’s biggest hardware embarrassment. It was a very early attempt at VR with stereoscopic 3D features that failed because it was neither a true console nor a true portable machine. Each game was displayed exclusively in red and black, and using it for more than a few minutes at a time would strain your neck and eyes.

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Nintendo’s Virtual Boy replica for Switch 2 is finally available to buy

For $100 (and the cost of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription so you can actually play the games), you can almost perfectly recreate that retro experience on your Switch or Switch 2. This new accessory isn’t a neat, refined, or redesigned take on the original idea; it just Is Basic idea, but with the ability to put a portable Switch display inside it. It still hurts to watch and play. Outside games aren’t particularly good or interesting wario land. You also can’t output games to a TV or any other external display, making it almost completely incompatible with today’s “everything should be streamable” attitude in games.

And that’s why it rules. I love the Switch Virtual Boy accessory, and I certainly won’t use it for longer than it took to write this article and shoot the accompanying video because I value my vision. It reproduces the original artistic vision at the expense of user comfort and convenience, and thank God for that.

How to buy Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy accessories

The new version of the Virtual Boy is an online Nintendo Store exclusive. To try it yourself, visit the Nintendo Store and sign in to your account. There’s a catch, however – you’ll need a Nintendo Switch Online membership to purchase the device. It’s priced at $99.99 and is on sale now.

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