Nintendo Virtual Boy Pro VR console ‘announced as April Fool’s prank’ as devastated gamers cry ‘sad it’s only a joke’
NINTENDO and IGN have pulled a fast one on gamers after they announced a fake virtual reality headset for the Nintendo Switch.
In a satirical announcement this morning, IGN shared the Virtual Boy Pro for Nintendo in a YouTube video.
The gaming and entertainment media website’s parody video showed a gamer docking their Switch into a headset Virtual Boy Pro.
The VR accessory seemingly features a high-resolution display, head tracking, and hand tracking.
It’s also equipped with a built-in microphone and speakers and features a sleek, minimalist design.
To make the joke more believable, IGN shared a comedic accompanying press release for the fictional item.
“Nintendo has revealed the Nintendo Virtual Boy Pro, a new hardware accessory compatible with Nintendo Switch consoles that looks like one of its wildest projects yet,” the release reads.
“The Virtual Boy Pro joins a growing list of official first-party Nintendo Switch accessories like Ring Fit, a hula hoop-shaped exercise thing that also involves a different thing strapped to your leg, and Nintendo Labo, a cardboard box that had other smaller cardboard boxes inside it,” it continues.
There are also quotes from legendary Nintendo game designer Shigeru Miyamoto in the press release.
Miyamoto satirically speaks about the original Virtual Boy, released by Nintendo in 1995.
“When we think about our history of beloved and successful handheld and console hardware here at Nintendo, we specifically don’t think about the Virtual Boy at all, mostly because it wasn’t beloved or successful,” he is quoted as saying.
“It also wasn’t a handheld or a console, really. What even was it? That was really weird of us, honestly,” he added.
The joke quickly went viral on social media platforms, like YouTube, Reddit, and X, formerly Twitter.
While many social media users found the joke funny, others couldn’t help but express disappointment that the item didn’t exist.
“Wow I wish this was real,” one saddened gamer noted on X.
“The title had me fooled for about 2 seconds longer than it should have lol. Forgot today was April Fools,” another person shared on Reddit.
Nintendo Switch vs Switch Lite – what's the difference?
Here's what you need to know...
- The Nintendo Switch Lite doesn’t plug into your television – it’s handheld-only
- Its Joy-Con controls aren’t detachable, and are built into the handset’s body
- There’s no TV docking station, so you’ll charge your device using a cable
- Some games will have restrictions, due to the console being handheld-only
- There are three new colours: yellow, grey and turquoise
- The Switch Lite is $100 / £100 cheaper than the Switch proper
“Can’t take anything seriously with today being April Fools lol – Would be hilarious if Nintendo actually did bring back the Virtual Boy though,” another person remarked on YouTube.
THE REAL VIRTUAL BOY
The Virtual Boy was a 32-bit portable video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo.
It was released in 1995 and was marketed as the first console capable of displaying stereoscopic “3D” graphics.
The player uses the console like a head-mounted display to look into a red monochrome display.
Meanwhile, the games featured effects to create the illusion of depth and movement.
Nintendo only released 22 games for the system before quitting and shutting down distribution and development in 1996.