You can run but you can’t hide – the worst Nintendo console ever is coming back for revenge as a Switch 2 accessory
By Dashiell Wood
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You can run but you can’t hide – the worst Nintendo console ever is coming back for revenge as a Switch 2 accessory
Dashiell Wood
12 September 2025
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(Image credit: Nintendo)
Nintendo is bringing back the Virtual Boy, its worst console, for some reason
Virtual Boy games are coming to Nintendo Switch Online and will require a dedicated accessory
It looks like a recreation of the Virtual Boy, with a slot for the Nintendo Switch 2
The latest Nintendo Direct has officially concluded, and I can only assume that the Japanese gaming giant has lost the plot.
Sure, it was absolutely full of incredible reveals, ranging all the way from a Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 compilation to a brand new Fire Emblem game, but one announcement has left me scratching my head.
The company is officially bringing back the Virtual Boy – an ancient oddity widely regarded as one of the worst consoles ever released.
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An early attempt at virtual reality, it came out in 1995 and was a gigantic critical and commercial failure. Looking like a weird lobster-red pair of goggles, the headset was awkward to use, massively expensive, and could infamously only play titles in red and black.
It sold less than 800,000 units and was discontinued in less than a year, so I can’t imagine what possessed Nintendo to bring it back from the dead.
As confirmed in the presentation, Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscribers will be able to play select Virtual Boy games starting February 17, 2026.
(Image credit: Nintendo)
Playing them will require a dedicated accessory, fashioned after the infamous system. It looks like an almost exact recreation but features a new slot in which you can insert the Nintendo Switch 2, where it will seemingly act as the console’s screen.
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A separate cardboard version of the accessory will also be offered. Although there’s no official word on pricing just yet, it seems safe to assume that the paper variant will be much cheaper.
There will be a grand total of 14 games on offer, which is a massive chunk of its library when you consider that the system only got a total of 22 games worldwide.
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Dashiell Wood
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Hardware Writer
Dash is a technology journalist who covers gaming hardware at TechRadar. Before joining the TechRadar team, he was writing gaming articles for some of the UK’s biggest magazines including PLAY, Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX. Now, when he’s not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.
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