The virtual boy from Nintendo makes a curious comeback for Switch and Switch 2

Nintendo is happy to surprise fans by digging in the past and the newest step is a big step. On February 17, 2026, the virtual boy from Nintendo, the weird and short sustainable console from 1995 will get a new life as part of the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack.

You need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to gain access to the Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics Library, which is launched with 14 races, including Mario’s Tennis, Galactic Pinball, Teleroboxer and Virtual Bowling. Some of them make their North -American debut. In contrast to other retro collections on service such as Game Boy Advance or Nintendo 64, the Virtual Boy games are all about their stereoscopic 3D visuals, a characteristic of the ambitious but headache -inducing design of the original console. To make that experience again, Nintendo offers two accessories: a plastic replica of $ 100 from the virtual boy and a $ 25 cardboard version, both exclusively for paid subscribers in the US and Canada. These accessories are later available for pre-purchase via the My Nintendo Store and let yourself be used in your switch or switch 2 as the screen, just like the original headset such as Setup without a built-in display.

The plastic replica is an almost perfect recreation of the design of the virtual boy, with the standard and face plate. It is Gunpei Yokoi’s weird and beautiful design minus the original red and black LED screen. Instead, the switch or switch 2 slides into the accessory and the display uses to display the 3D visuals. The cardboard version is like the Labo experiments from Nintendo, a budget -friendly option for those who want the experience without committing to the more expensive model. Both accessories are required to play the Virtual Boy games in 3D, although Nintendo says that the games may be playable without the peripherals, probably in a flattened 2D mode for standard switch.

Why bring a console back that sold only 770,000 units and was stopped after a year? The failure of the virtual boy was not about the games, but rather about the hardware itself, that eyes and neck tension. Nintendo’s Modern Take Sidesteps Sidesteps that defects using the Switch screen and the infrastructure of the online + expansion package.

The aim of Nintendo here is versatile, by linking the comeback of the virtual boy to the online + expansion package, they encourage subscriptions and offer a way of a low risk of re -visiting a niche part of their past. The accessories, especially the cardboard, keep the costs low for new players, while the plastic is for collectors and die-hards. However, the prices can change because Nintendo warns that recent rate changes have already increased the costs for other peripherals and the prices of $ 100 / $ 25 for the plastic and cardboard may not be permanent. However, the limited geographical rollout (only in the US and Canada) and the exclusivity of a subscription suggests that they test the waters before a broader release.

The original virtual boy had warnings about the tension and Nintendo did not forget. Both accessories are for children aged 7 and older with recommended supervision of parents. This is a nod to the past, so players can experience the 3D effect without the discomfort of the original release. The games are gradually released and will be a selected selection from the 22 -game library of the Virtual Boy, so that players can find the hidden gems in a more comfortable size.