Nintendo has filed a patent for a new VR device as spotted by GameRant, leaving fans speculating that the company’s next gaming console may be VR-compatible. The patent drawings show a device resembling the Nintendo Labo VR. It was initially filed in the US on July 26th 2023, with a publication date of November 16th.
One of the most prominent companies in the gaming industry, Nintendo is known for its family-friendly games and consoles. With its many E and E10-rated games, the Nintendo Switch remains popular with the younger generation. This could suggest a future leap forward in VR games and experiences aimed at children.
Nintendo’s History With VR
24 years after its ill-fated Virtual Boy bombed, Nintendo returned to virtual reality with Nintendo Labo. However, consumer reception was tepid. Released in 2019, the virtual reality kit included cardboard VR goggles similar to Google Cardboard. While the experiment was ultimately a flop, VR tech has come a long way in the years since and it makes sense for Nintendo to give XR technologies another go.
In the patent, Nintendo classifies the VR device as an optical system or apparatus and a stereoscopic video system for video games and manipulating 3D objects. Further, the patent states the device will include head-mounted heads-up displays, multi-view video systems with image reproducers and a dynamically adapting virtual camera. Nintendo’s VR device patent also says that the device will feature data monitoring like eye-tracking and hand-tracking.
While the prospect of a VR-compatible successor to the Nintendo Switch is enticing, it isn’t a guarantee. The company also recently filed a patent for a dual-screen gaming device. However, rumours of the Nintendo Switch 2 have not mentioned VR compatibility or dual screens.
Nintendo: Beyond Games
While Nintendo is first and foremost a game company, it had some recent success at the box office with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Motivated by the film’s success, Nintendo plans to create a live-action adaptation of The Legend of Zelda. Sony Pictures is co-funding the project, with Wes Ball set to direct.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
