Nintendo has released a Virtual Boy replica accessory for the Nintendo Switch, making one of gaming’s most notorious oddities an instant buy for retro enthusiasts. The expansion offers the ability to play a select few Virtual Boy games in stereoscopic 3D via Nintendo Switch Online, reviving cult hits for today’s gamers.
The accessory retails for $99.99 and can be purchased only from Nintendo’s online store. It’s one per customer, and you need to be a Nintendo Switch Online member to buy it. That membership stipulation is much like how Nintendo treated its N64 and Sega Genesis Switch Online controllers, which were also released as member exclusives and often went out of stock.
What the Virtual Boy accessory for Switch actually does
The new unit, designed to appear as close to the original tech as possible, will enable stereoscopic 3D for some of those same Virtual Boy titles that are on their way to the Nintendo Switch Online library. You’ll be hooking up Joy-Con or Joy-Con 2 controllers for input, so there’s no additional controller learning curve. Nintendo has already name-checked the likes of Mario’s Tennis, Teleroboxer, and Galactic Pinball, with more titles set to rotate in as part of the service.
Access to the Virtual Boy library is only available through the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. It’s compatible with both the Nintendo Switch and the next-gen Switch successor teased by Nintendo, but not with the Switch Lite. That does matter if you are mostly playing handheld on the Lite, since the clone draws from docked or original Switch hardware to produce its 3D.
Why this Virtual Boy release matters to retro gaming fans
The Virtual Boy has long been a white whale for preservation. The first-generation 1990s system was short-lived for Nintendo and is believed to have sold slightly less than 770,000 units worldwide, according to company records and industry estimates. This library officially consisted of less than 25 games, and most were never re-released. To have those experiences easily accessible on a contemporary platform represents a huge moment for the archival community, and an uncommon opportunity for fans to check out that hardware’s unique red-and-black 3D without picking up increasingly delicate, dilapidated hardware.
Nintendo Switch Online has been gradually growing its retro library with NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games as part of the Expansion Pack. The Virtual Boy collection comes for members with the accessory, a sign that Nintendo is eager to continue pushing deeper cuts from its back catalog. Even niche platforms can make a name for themselves when Nintendo announces in its recent investor materials that it has over 38 million Switch Online members.
Purchase details and compatibility for the new accessory
Here’s the quick breakdown for buyers:
- The Virtual Boy accessory costs $99.99 and can be purchased only from Nintendo’s online store.
- An active Nintendo Switch Online membership is required to buy, and purchases are limited to one unit per account.
- You will need a regular Switch or the follow-up and a set of Joy-Con.
- The device is modeled after the original Virtual Boy and supports 3D video for Switch Online releases.
- A less expensive, cardboard version is coming, but the replica available now is the premium route for collectors and purists.
If you’ve used Nintendo’s classic controllers for Switch Online, the playbook is a known one: sanctioned hardware, a controlled software offering, and frictionless setup. That consistency is what gives the value—no third-party adapters, no shady ROMs—just an official way to view classics.
Should you buy the Virtual Boy accessory for Switch now?
Virtual Boy true believers who are already subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack will want to strongly consider preordering. There’s precedent for member-exclusive accessories being volatile in stock; official N64 and Genesis Switch controllers would frequently sell out (and return) at random. A one-per-customer limitation suggests collectors will snap them up quickly.
If you’re on Switch Lite, this is not for you. If your curiosity is piqued but you’re price-sensitive, look for the cardboard version. For everyone else—especially retro enthusiasts and game history buffs—the officially sanctioned Virtual Boy for Switch is the most straightforward way to engage with a collection that was once needlessly hard to access, now available on contemporary hardware with Nintendo’s blessing.
