Over three decades later, Nintendo remembers the Virtual Boy exists
Even as Nintendo has endlessly mined its classic consoles for nostalgic re-releasesin recent decades, the company has seemed to completely ignore the existence of the Virtual Boy-its abortive 1990s dip into the world of early virtual reality. That's finally set to change next February with Nintendo's first-ever official re-release of Virtual Boy games-at least for players who invest $100 in a required Virtual Boy-shaped Switch dock (or a cheaper cardboard holder) to make them work.
Virtual Boy - Nintendo Classics will be available for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members on #NintendoSwitch and #NintendoSwitch2 starting Feb 17, 2026! #NintendoDirect pic.twitter.com/VnCO0DiX3S
- Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 12, 2025
Subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online in the US and Canada will soon be able to purchase that $100 dock, which Nintendo says "recreates the form of the original Virtual Boy hardware," or a slender $25 cardboard alternative. Then, starting on February 17, those players will be able to play downloaded Virtual Boy games (included with an Expansion Pack subscription) by inserting a Switch or Switch 2 into one of those retro replicas. The system will presumably display those games in a split-screen mode that can be viewed through special lenses to replicate the Virtual Boy's original 384*224 resolution, four-shades-of-red stereoscopic display.
Nintendo's announcement says you'll "need this dedicated accessory" to play Virtual Boy titles through a Switch, suggesting that flat-screen play on a console without one of the custom docks won't be possible. And while "purchase limits apply" to the plastic Virtual Boy replica (which seems likely to be a collectible available only in limited supplies), the cheaper cardboard model seems designed for wider availability.