The Story of Virtual Boy

There’s a Polish saying: “the ox forgot what it was like to be a calf.” In the world of technology, where innovations quickly become outdated, it’s easy to forget the early steps that led to current achievements. But in our studio, we want to remember our roots and draw inspiration from them. That’s why we were thrilled to revisit the beginnings of game development when an original Virtual Boy console from 1995 by Nintendo fell into our hands. What’s the story of Virtual Boy?

For some of you, Virtual Boy might just be a curious piece of history, while for others, it’s a nostalgic reminder of a time when the gaming industry was experimenting with new technologies. Virtual Boy was a product by Nintendo that, unfortunately, did not achieve success. The company decided to discontinue its production just a year after its release. During that brief period, only 22 games were developed for the console. Despite this sad story, we believe that it’s worth reflecting on this piece of history and drawing valuable lessons for the future.

What Led to Virtual Boy’s Failure?

The console was developed over four years under the working name “VR32” and was supposed to be a pioneer in virtual reality. Unfortunately, during the final stages of development, Nintendo decided to release the console in an unfinished state to focus on a more promising product – the Nintendo 64. This rush had its consequences.

High Price 💸

One of the key issues was the high price of the device. When Virtual Boy was released, it cost $180, which was quite a significant expense in the 90s. For comparison, other modern consoles were cheaper and offered much more advanced features.

Display – Dark and Limited in Color 🔴⚫

Another major problem was the display. The console used a monochromatic LED screen that displayed images in just two colors: red and black. While this was intended to align with VR technology, the results were far from expectations. Prolonged gaming on the Virtual Boy often caused headaches and nausea, further discouraging use. At that time, the technology simply wasn’t advanced enough to provide users with a comfortable experience.

Poor Ergonomics and Mobility

Virtual Boy was supposed to be a portable console that you could take anywhere. However, in practice, the device was cumbersome and uncomfortable to use. The design required players to hold the console up to their face, which quickly became tiring and made gaming uncomfortable. Instead of offering mobility, Virtual Boy ended up resembling a stationary console without the comfort of use.

Negative Reviews and a Wave of Criticism

Critics were merciless. The console was flooded with negative reviews that pointed out its numerous flaws. The overwhelming criticism only heightened players’ reluctance to buy it, leading to poor sales figures. As a result, Nintendo decided to discontinue production just a year after its release, making Virtual Boy one of the company’s biggest failures in history.

A History Lesson and a Source of Inspiration

Despite the sad story of Virtual Boy, it remains a significant piece of history from which many valuable lessons can be drawn. At our studio, we believe that every failure is an opportunity to learn, which is why we’ve been eagerly testing this unique console over the past few days. Although it’s technologically far from today’s standards, it still carries something that reminds us of the early days of our industry. After all, it was experiments like this that contributed to the development of game development and brought us to where we are today.

Many of us, as game developers, were inspired by games from the past, and some of them hold a special place in our hearts. That’s why we’re so excited to have the chance to test Virtual Boy and draw inspiration from it.

And you? Have you heard of Virtual Boy? 🎮

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