Reviews and Impressions for the Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit
VR modes for Mario and Zelda will be released at the end of April and aren't covered in the reviews below
Metacritic
Opencritic
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VR modes for Mario and Zelda will be released at the end of April and aren't covered in the reviews below
Metacritic
Opencritic
- Eurogamer - No Score
If you're a parent who wants to introduce their children to a new frontier in gaming or a previous adopter of Labo who just wants to build more incredibly inventive Toy-Con from the masters of imagination, then I can't recommend the Labo VR Kit highly enough. That old Nintendo magic is everywhere you look, and even the most hardened VR veteran will struggle to suppress a smile at some of the surprises the VR Toy-Con have in store.
- The Verge - No Score
It may have taken a while, but Nintendo's take on modern VR is perhaps the perfect complement to the Switch itself. With its tablet / console hybrid, Nintendo went in a completely different direction than its competitors, and the same could be said of Labo VR. It's not virtual reality as you've come to know it — and that's what makes it so interesting. - Wccftech - No Score
The Nintendo Labo VR Kit is a work of genius, for the most part. The Blaster and Elephant are particular highlights which transform the way the Nintendo Switch works, but the Fan and the Bird ToyCon are just… somewhat useless. Great for the family, great as a weekend crafting project, and definitely the best Labo kit yet.
- Metro UK - No Score
Being made of cardboard may make them sound like some sort of cheap novelty but they're actually extremely robust and the ingenuity in how they're built, and how they function with the software, is hugely impressive. They're primarily aimed at kids but in the best possible way, as not only are they encouraged to customise them with paint and stickers but also to learn how they work – learning real science and programming lessons along the way. - Nintendo Life - No Score
This kit comes with the VR goggles, four main Toy-Con, and a couple of other little twiddly bits to go with them. Unsurprisingly, the VR goggles are the undeniable star of the show, and the gateway you'll need for all the Toy-Con to be even remotely useable. However, if you like the look of the games but you're not able to enjoy VR properly for whatever reason, you might have more luck with the included holder designed to replace the goggles. This simply holds the Switch in place and is a really nice touch for anyone who is unable to (or just doesn't want to) use VR. - Gameinformer - No Score
It's not surprising that Labo VR cannot compete with the likes of Oculus, Vive, and PlayStation VR, but I was impressed by the software and the general cleverness of how it all works. The price point is welcoming for Switch owners who want to experiment with VR, and with a 7+ suggested age rating, it's the best VR for younger players (other headsets typically suggest players be at least 12 years old). Labo VR is a novelty, to be sure, but it knows its limitations and constructs some fun experiences within those boundaries. - Gamesradar - No Score
The beauty is that the VR Goggles themselves not only function as a VR game system in their own right but also then slot into the various other creations (which basically act as peripherals), meaning that you don't need a headstrap to keep your Labo VR attached to your eyes. It's designed to ensure that the age rating for Labo VR is as low as possible (seven years and up to be precise), so that it's as family friendly as it can be. I thought that would mean Labo VR would get very tiring to use for long periods of time, but the majority of the games are designed for short-burst play sessions, so that's never an issue.
- Tech Advisor UK - No Score
This is the best Labo kit yet in just about every respect. The designs are more creative, the tech is more impressive, and there's a breadth and depth of gameplay that none of the previous Labo sets can match. The games remain fundamentally simplistic - and they're definitely not all winners - but there's enough here to win over skeptics, and a sense of creativity and playfulness that runs through the game from start to finish.
- Pocket Lint - 4/5
The full Labo VR kit certainly feels more immersive than the original Labo offerings, we just worry that it still suffers from the same concerns of longevity we've seen previously. […]The bottom line is that the full Labo VR kit is incredibly creative, imaginative and great fun while it lasts. However, you might find that fun doesn't last as long as you wish it did from the included games.
- Destructoid - No Score
At this moment in time that's basically it for Labo VR. The two heaviest hitters — Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey — are coming later this month, and weren't available for testing. It's kind of like how the wheel and pedal kit shipped with various (albeit fun) tech demos and not Mario Kart 8 Deluxe support until it was quietly added later.
- Gizmodo - No Score
Assuming you've already got the Switch hardware, Labo: VR Kit offers a solid value in terms of affordable and easy VR experiences. It feels like the next step beyond what Google started with its Cardboard viewer, but you'll want to keep in mind that Nintendo's offering still suffers from the same side effects that cheaper VR solutions are notorious for. The limited frame rates, sub-HD graphics, and lag in motion tracking will leave some users feeling queasy. I never experience motion sickness, but I find I can only play with one of the VR Toy-Cons for about ten minutes before I start to feel the effects.
- CNET - No Score
I asked my oldest son, who worked on Labo with me a year ago, to rate the experience with Labo VR. He said he loved it, but he noticed that the pixels were "a little too big." Maybe a new Switch, he suggested, with smaller pixels and a new controller, could benefit better from a full VR headset?
Funnily enough, I was thinking the same thing. The Nintendo Switch is 2 years old. A new version with a better display and processor and controllers could handle VR in ways that are more convincing. After all, the upcoming Oculus Quest is doing exactly that in a standalone mobile game system - Kotaku UK - No Score
While it's ultimately a bit cumbersome to hold, and it certainly doesn't hold a candle to PSVR or Vive in terms of its technology, it's a pretty cheap and easy way to experiment with VR, and a great proof of concept that Nintendo really could step in and fill a gap in the VR market. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I'd be much more likely to play Breath of the Wild in VR a few weeks from now if I had a plastic version of this with a headstrap so I could rest my arms.
- Wired UK - No Score
Sakaguchi is coy about Nintendo's vision for the future of VR. When asked about the news that Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will introduce VR features, he demurs. He does, however, reveal that the team behind Mario Odyssey were inspired by an early showcase of the Labo software, and were immediately eager to implement VR into their own project. He emphasises that for both Mario and Zelda, virtual reality is merely a bonus feature.
This is, in many ways, true of Labo, too. You can't deign much on Nintendo's long term view of VR from it – but that doesn't mean it isn't a whole lot of fun. - PLUGGED - No Score
Ultimately, the Labo VR kit is a prime example of why I love Nintendo. It's a weird and inventive product that almost no one could've produced. Is it going to change your views on VR? Not one bit, but it is fun, if somewhat flawed.
- The Sixth Axis - No Score
While they're hardly the first to do such things, it's fascinating to see Nintendo increasingly putting the tools of creation in the hands of players. Though there's the sheer madness that is Super Mario Maker, Labo is much more of an educational tool for children, and Labo as a whole is really all about creating, playing, experimenting and learning from it.
- 4Players (German) - 4/10
The biggest problem is the low resolution screen with a 60 Hertz refresh rate, which produces nasty blurs on head movements
- Polygon - No Score
If you've never experienced VR, or have and weren't fully convinced by the other hardware on the market, I think you'll find Nintendo's Labo VR kit worth checking out. At worst, you'll spend a few hours having fun putting together some charming cardboard toys and seeing what parlor tricks your Nintendo Switch can do with them. At best, you'll dive into one of the most inexpensive, yet engrossing, VR experiences out there.
- Console Creatures - No Score
My biggest concerns were whether the screen on the Switch was too low a resolution for VR and whether Labo is the right pilot for the technology. I'm happy that after spending a week with the VR headset and a handful of games left me impressed and my concerns unfounded. Nintendo Labo VR left me impressed.
- PC Mag - 4.5/5
The Nintendo Labo VR Kit is the most impressive and powerful Labo game we've seen yet. The VR effect is immersive, even if it's limited to 3DOF and not particularly sharp, and the different Toy-Cons provide some amusing, unique experiences. But the best part is Toy-Con Garage VR, which is a massive step forward in making game creation accessible to anyone. While we'd like to see the ability to share the games you create online, it's still a brilliant first step in making your own 3D experiences, in VR or not. If you have a Nintendo Switch, the Labo VR Kit is easy to recommend, and an Editors' Choice.
- The Telegraph - No Score
VR is a natural fit for Labo, providing a less intense gateway to virtual reality than much of the competition. But it is its addition to Labo's greater whole that impresses the most, enhancing the tactility and diversity of those toys.
- Nintendo Enthusiast - 8/10
In the end, it's important to look at Labo VR for what it is. It's not comparable to the other VR sets on the market. The resolution is lackluster, and it's made out of cardboard! And if you understand that you're purchasing this set for the fun of building the goggles and Toy-Con constructs and playing short minigame-type experiences, then it's much easier to decide if it is worth the price of admission.
- Geek - No Score
Playing Nintendo Labo VR Kit feels like seeing the next layer in a series of nesting proofs of concept. The Wii U tech demo Project Giant Robot served as inspiration for Labo's Robot Kit. The Wii U itself is pretty much a beta version of the Switch. Labo answered many questions about seemingly random Switch hardware features like HD Rumble, a touch screen, and an IR camera. And Labo VR shows the value of cheap cardboard alternatives of more intimidating cutting-edge tech.
- Newsweek - No Score
The Nintendo Labo VR Kit offers amazing, immersive VR technology, and its quick-to-build Toy-Cons feel satisfying and worthwhile to construct without putting too much strain on parents.
But the best part of the VR Kit is the games. Not only does each Toy-Con offer its own unique experience or two, there are 64 games to play in VR Plaza and the VR Garage gives inventive young game designers a chance to create their own. I just wish there was a way to strap the VR Goggles to your hea,d so you can play without tiring.
The VR Kit is the best set put out so far, and well worth a look if you've been intrigued by the Nintendo Labo. - Gamespot - 7/10
+ Detailed, digestible instructions for building each cardboard device
+ Smart, clever use of existing tech that works with its limitations
+ Discovery Mode is a wonderful educational tool that teaches you how the tech works
+ Robust toolset with Toy-Con Garage, which lets you create your own VR experiences
- Low screen resolution results in mostly blurry visuals
- Only a few built-in minigames bring out the best in the tech
- Gyroscope drift can be frustrating for certain experiences - Mirror UK - 4/5
The Labo VR kit is fun to build, really fun to play with. The charming games create many joyous laugh out loud moments but they are very short, simple and don't hold much in the way of replayability. There is some immersion and while it's impressive, it's basic at best. However this cardboard kit really pushes against the limitations of the Switch hardware, and the kit is a great way to experience cheap but effective VR. While there is nothing earth shattering, it's a really enjoyable experience and easily the best use Labo that Nintendo have cooked up so far.
Two of the Switch's biggest first party games, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, will be supporting VR which sounds amazing. Odyssey will even have some specific areas designed for the new mode. I am very curious to see how the Switch copes with VR in these more graphically demanding games. This functionality will be available from the 25th of April, and the best bit is you won't need to start a new game. - VG247 - No Score
Labo VR isn't likely to set the world of VR on fire, but as a cheap VR option that's a family friendly way to explore this growing area of gaming this new Toy-Con kit feels like a clever, worthwhile addition to the Switch's weird and wonderful cardboard world. It may also very well be the first time Labo has truly made sense to me. It's classic Nintendo ingenuity, with classic Nintendo results: just pure fun.
- IGN - 7.9/10
Labo VR is Nintendo's most innovative and creative Labo kit to date. It can't compete with the top-dollar VR available on other platforms and it's tiring to hold it up to your face for more than an hour at a time, but it still includes plenty of wacky and wonderful Nintendo magic, best exemplified by the Elephant Toy-Con.
- Video Chums - 7.1/10
In the end, Labo VR is a promising new concept for Switch gamers. It could definitely use more and higher quality games at this point in time but there's no denying that it works well and opens the doors to more unique experiences on the Switch.
- Ars Technica - No Score
I'd rather VR newbies pull the gun on the $200 Oculus Go, which is a far more impressive (and comfortable) 3DOF VR platform, but that's nowhere near the impulse-buy territory of Labo VR's $40 starter set. And for all the shade I've cast here, let me be reiterate a point I made at the start: Labo VR is fine. Serviceable. Decent. You'll get some fun out of building these Toy-Cons with your kids, though Labo's Variety and Vehicle Sets are better in that regard. Your eyes, and those of your older kids, won't melt by using this slightly uncomfortable set—though Nintendo warns parents not to let kids under seven use this, and I'd argue that the science about kids' vision and VR is still far from conclusive.
So long as you appreciate how much better VR can be, and that Nintendo has been soundly trounced in the good-VR-design department by the likes of Astro Bot, Tetris Effect, TiltBrush, Vacation Simulator, Superhot VR, Moss, SuperHyperCube, Space Pirate Trainer, and on and on and on... then, sure, give Labo VR a whirl. Just don't say I didn't warn ya.
Big thanks to mazi for all your help finding more reviews!
Read enough? Ready to get crafting?
=> ResetEra OT by jts
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