Nintendo Switch enters VR space with Labo kit

Nintendo has announced the fourth kit in its Nintendo Labo series, which it says will offer “shareable, simple VR gaming experiences”.

The Nintendo Labo VR Kit includes six cardboard sets designed to be used with accompanying software.

These include the Toy-Con VR Goggles, which sit in front of the Nintendo Switch hardware itself, plus the Blaster, Camera, Bird, Wind Pedal and Elephant Toy-Con projects.

The full Nintendo Labo VR Kit will release on April 12 for $79.99 (£69.99), while a starter set that only includes the Goggles and Blaster will be available for $39.99 (£34.99).

For those who opt for the starter set, two expansion sets will include the remaining Toy-Cons for $19.99 (£16.99) each.

“This new kit builds on the core tenets of Nintendo Labo – Make, Play and Discover – to introduce virtual reality in a way that’s fun and approachable for both kids and kids at heart,” said current senior VP of sales and marketing and upcoming Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser. “We wanted to design an experience that encourages both virtual and real-world interactions among players through passing around Toy-Con creations.”

Nintendo Labo debuted in April 2018. Since then Nintendo has released several new kits featuring additional cardboard creations, which it says have sold more than one million units. While that statistic sounds modest next to the company’s other sales numbers, it insists Labo should be viewed differently from traditional video games.

Nintendo president, Shuntaro Furukawa said during an earnings report: “Nintendo Labo has been incorporated into classes at 100 elementary schools across the US, and has received awards and acknowledgements from various domestic and international media, in categories of toys and of other general consumer products experiences.

“So, as we expected, it appears that Nintendo Labo has been accepted by our consumers differently than traditional video games.”