I Spent $100 on the Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy Accessory and Have Zero Regrets

The Virtual Boy is one of Nintendo’s biggest failures. Originally released in 1995, the Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s first major attempt at stereoscopic 3D. Criticized for its high price point and being flat-out uncomfortable to play, the Virtual Boy failed to hit even 1 million units sold and was abandoned in less than a year, with its final game being 3D Tetris in March 1996.

Nintendo eventually took another crack at 3D with the Nintendo 3DS and found much greater success with its glasses-free 3D gimmick. When the 3DS started to receive games from older Nintendo platforms, bringing Virtual Boy titles to the handheld seemed like an obvious choice, even if the device’s library wasn’t particularly well-received. When that never happened, many assumed that Nintendo was fine with leaving the Virtual Boy and its games to rot in the 90s, which made the reveal of Virtual Boy games coming to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack that much more shocking.

Nintendo Switch Online Users Now Have Two More Game Boy Classics to Play

Nintendo surprises Switch Online subscribers with a fresh shadowdrop of two classic Game Boy titles from the early 90s.

Unlike the 3DS, the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 do not support glasses-free 3D, and so playing Virtual Boy games on the console requires a $100 accessory. The Virtual Boy Switch accessory mimics the original device, serving as a shell that players can slip their Switch consoles into in order to play Virtual Boy games close to how they were played in the mid-90s. Despite the Virtual Boy’s exceedingly poor reputation, I took the plunge and bought the $100 accessory to give Virtual Boy games on the Switch a go, and I’ve come away surprised by how much fun I’ve had with it.

Most Virtual Boy Games Are Bad, But There’s One Big Diamond in the Rough

3D Tetris
Galactic Pinball
Golf (1995)
The Mansion of Innsmouth
Red Alarm
Teleroboxer
Virtual Boy Wario Land

Seven Virtual Boy games are available to play on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack at the time of this writing. There’s 3D Tetris, Galactic Pinball, Golf (1995), The Mansion of Innsmouth, Red Alarm, Teleroboxer, and Virtual Boy Wario Land. They all look interesting thanks to the 3D gimmick, but as far as being fun to play goes, they’re mostly pretty weak experiences.

The one game that stands out, though, is Virtual Boy Wario Land. Often hailed as the best Virtual Boy game ever made, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a classic 2D Wario Land adventure where players hunt down treasure and fight unique bosses that make clever use of the device’s unique capabilities. A genuinely fun platformer, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a blast, and now it should be much more easily accessible.

Virtual Boy Wario Land being a part of the Switch Online + Expansion Pack’s Nintendo Classics lineup is even more appreciated because of the general lack of Wario Land on the service. There’s Wario Land 3 and 4, but the first two Wario Land games still have yet to be added. If nothing else, Virtual Boy Wario Land is a great way to tide yourself over while you wait for the rest of the classic Wario Land games to finally make their debut.

More Virtual Boy Games Are on the Way

D-Hopper
Jack Bros.
Mario Clash
Mario’s Tennis
Space Invaders Virtual Collection
Virtual Bowling
V-Tetris
Zero Racers

Besides Virtual Boy Wario Land, I have had some fun with the arcade on-rails shooter Red Alarm and the Punch-Out-style Teleroboxer. The Mansion of Innsmouth is also an interesting horror game for the Virtual Boy, though its execution leaves a lot to be desired.

In any case, there are more Virtual Boy games on the way for the Nintendo Classics line-up. Jack Bros., Mario Clash, Mario’s Tennis, Space Invaders Virtual Collection, V-Tetris, and Virtual Bowling are all expected to make their debuts by the end of 2026. There will even be two previously-unreleased Virtual Boy games added to the service in the form of action-adventure game D-Hopper and racing game Zero Racers. I’ve heard good things about Mario’s Tennis and I will give all the upcoming Virtual Boy games a shot for sure.

Virtual Boy on the Switch is Much Cheaper Than the Alternative

Look, there’s not exactly a big market for Virtual Boy hardware and games, but if you are someone like me that is curious about the platform, the Switch is the way to go to save money. Virtual Boy headsets are being listed at around $200 a pop on sites like eBay, and the games can go for $30 or more. Virtual Boy Wario Land‘s price is closer to the $100 mark, and so you can save a ton of money by just buying the $100 Virtual Boy accessory for Switch.

It’s Not Perfect, But I Still Don’t Regret Buying It

Back in the day, some of the chief complaints about the Virtual Boy were that it gave people headaches and was uncomfortable to use. I personally haven’t had any headaches playing the Virtual Boy, but I have experienced some neck pain during longer game sessions. Still, I knew what to expect going in, and while the Virtual Boy section of Nintendo Classics won’t get nearly as much attention from me as the other consoles on the service, I look forward to revisiting Virtual Boy Wario Land and checking out the other games as they are added to the Nintendo Classics library.