Category: Nintendo

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Nintendo “Can’t Say No” To VR On Switch, But You Won’t See Anything Soon

Nintendo “Can’t Say No” To VR On Switch, But You Won’t See Anything Soon

Nintendo continues to play with our emotions over its new console, Switch, and the subject of VR. Despite rumors, last month’s reveal of the new device made no mention of support for the tech, but don’t count it out just yet.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima stated that the company “can’t say no” to the possibility of VR support in the future and that it was something it “must consider.”

“I can’t say that we have no interest in VR because VR offers new ways of playing, but that depends on what kind of software can be played,” Kimishima said. “But what kind of software works, that’s only something you only know once you actually experience it. And our games are ones that are usually played for a long time.”

Switch is a hybrid console that, when at home, you insert into a dock and play on your TV. When you want to play elsewhere, you simply remove the device from the dock, insert a pair of handheld controllers on either side, and then play on a screen located in the middle. While VR support didn’t look likely at first, Switch does use Nvidia’s powerful Tegra technology, pulling off experiences like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, that give us hope it could at least match current high-end mobile VR standards if it were to support the tech later down the line.

As we wrote when the device was revealed two weeks back, it’s a long shot. But we’d welcome an add-on that perhaps consisted of a lightweight HMD that you could connect to the console and then use its controllers as a form of input.

Nintendo is set to reveal more details about the Switch in January 2017. Two months later in March, the device will launch. We don’t expect any VR support to be announced in the near future, but hopefully if devices like PlayStation VR prove popular then Nintendo might dig a bit deeper into a technology we’d love to see them working with.

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On Future VR Compatibility for Switch Nintendo Says: ‘certainly we can’t say no’

Certainly one of the biggest videogame announcements this week came from Nintendo with the unveiling of Switch, its new console previously codenamed ‘NX’. The design came as quite a surprise, mixing a portable screen with a docking station to bring mobile and home console gaming together. While specifications and software haven’t been revealed yet, one thing that seemed glaringly clear is that Switch probably won’t be powering any virtual reality (VR) headsets due to its tablet design. But that doesn’t mean Nintendo aren’t thinking about the future and the possibilities of VR in relation to Switch.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg Nintendo president, Tatsumi Kimishima was asked about whether the upcoming console would have VR capabilities, and if the company was developing VR compatible with it. To which Kimishima responded: “If you asked as if this might be possible in the future, certainly we can’t say no. In terms of how it can be used for gaming, it’s something we must consider. It depends on the system specifications. I can’t say that we have no interest in VR because VR offers new ways of playing, but that depends on what kind of software can be played. But what kind of software works, that’s only something you only know once you actually experience it. And our games are ones that are usually played for a long time.”

Nintendo Switch

Kimishima also gave his view on VR in general: “Miyamoto has talked about this several times. It’s not that we’re uninterested. In fact, we have a lot of interest. VR offers the experience of playing in a new way. But that depends on the software and how you use it to play. Especially when it comes to games. And beyond games, it also applies to other non-game things, so it is something to look forward to.”

Without knowing what’s inside Switch its difficult to say if it could ever power VR head-mounted displays (HMDs). Headsets like the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive for example need some heavy processing power, but this can still be achieved in a relatively compact form factor, just look at the Razer Blade.

While the company occasionally expresses interest in VR tech there’s still no confirmation on any sort of development ideas or plans. And this week Microsoft got into the field by announcing an affordable device made by some of its hardware partners.

VRFocus will continue its coverage of Nintendo, reporting back with any VR related details.