After a slight underperformance from the initial Labo sets, Nintendo is banking on the fourth Labo installment, a VR Kit that turns the Switch into a Virtual Reality headset, being a success. Personally, I think it has the potential to succeed, and not just because the novelty of a virtual reality headset is greater than that of a cardboard fishing rod. While the retail price for some of these sets could seem intimidatingly high, Nintendo has chosen to offer this set either complete in box for $80 or as a starter set for $40 which contains the headset and part of the additional add-ons and two more $20 booster sets that complete the set. The lower entry price, I feel, gave the set a bigger chance at success in any case, but if that wasn’t enough to convince you to invest, perhaps the news that the Nintendo Labo VR headset could allow you to play Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in VR will tempt you into purchasing it.
In a rather surprising announcement from the company earlier today, Nintendo stated that VR support would be added to the two massively popular Switch games on April 25, two weeks after the release of the actual Labo VR set on April 12. The way each game will implement VR support, however, varies. For Super Mario Odyssey, brand new mini-challenges are being introduced to the game that, while relatively basic, will see Mario revisit the Luncheon, Cap and Seaside Kingdoms. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s utilization of VR, however, is a lot more substantial by comparison, as you will be able to play the entire game in VR. Although some cutscenes will not utilize the VR aspect, the gameplay itself can be experienced in this brand new way through the use of the Labo headset.
While the actual Labo Kit includes a game that allows the player to explore a virtual reality environment and looks like a lot of fun in its own right, I feel this is what will cause the skeptics or those on the fence to jump in and buy at least the $40 base kit upon its release next week. For Zelda in particular, the world of Hyrule created by the developers for Breath of the Wild is a wonder to explore when playing the game normally without VR, and just the idea of jumping back into that world in this way sounds like something I would want to at least experience once, even as a skeptic of VR.
These VR enhancements will be released on April 25 as free updates, while the VR Labo Kit will release on April 12 for $40 for the base set with two optional $20 expansion kits or as a complete $80 set. You can find out more on the Nintendo Labo website.