Maybe a Switch pro with a 1080p screen would do better!? Could this work?
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NWR: Could a Switch VR-Related Announcement Be Approaching (Rumor)?
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Everyone is saying the PPI is terrible. They've made some amazing looking things on some shit hardware before. They might surprise us.
It could be possible, but for the life of me, I feel like there might be a few issues that would come with it. Would it be that you would have the switch undocked and strapped to your head in front of your eyes? or would they really have their own headset to go with the VR? Haven't really been that invested in VR yet myself, although I do see the draw. I just haven't had the time or money to invest into it myself and I doubt it would be nintendo that finally gets me to bite.
As I've said many pages ago, there has been no real way to play Virtual Boy games as they were meant to be played since Virtual Boy ceased production. I can see Virtual Boy titles being part of this. It also gets around the low PPI and horspower. I feel like pixel art based VR experiences will do just fine on Switch.
They could always colorize the old Virtual Boy games and throw in modern shaders like DOF and proper lighting as a toggle for people who do not want to only see red.
Things like VR chat rooms, and simple VR experience can be achieved with what they have. And the Google Cardboard tutorial/test experience with a flat shaded world can totally be achieved on Switch as well and you can have some VR experiences in that vein. Maybe an OG SNES inspired Star Fox flight sim/shooter.
and yes, it will likely drive high end VR users crazy if Nintendo does it this way, but it makes a lot of sense.
They could always colorize the old Virtual Boy games and throw in modern shaders like DOF and proper lighting as a toggle for people who do not want to only see red.
Things like VR chat rooms, and simple VR experience can be achieved with what they have. And the Google Cardboard tutorial/test experience with a flat shaded world can totally be achieved on Switch as well and you can have some VR experiences in that vein. Maybe an OG SNES inspired Star Fox flight sim/shooter.
and yes, it will likely drive high end VR users crazy if Nintendo does it this way, but it makes a lot of sense.
Well the virtual boy wasn't really VR it was a display with a a few planes of depth, not that much different from a head mounted game boy.
The only reason it would drive high VR fan boys like myself crazy is that we have played Wind Waker, Paper Mario, Metroid Prime and F Zero GX in VR and can see how much potential is there is for Nintendo games in VR if they did it properly. Hell Astrobot in my opinion is the best Mario game since Super Mario World and that was made by a small team in just under a year. Even though every level introduces new gameplay experiences that rift on the classics from platforming heyday of the SNES and Mega Drive that got lost with the jump to 3D there is still so much to be explored, especially by a company that specialises in that kind of gameplay and have been the masters of it for over three decades.
VB could work ok since it would be stationary. The bigger issue than 720p (which is definitely an issue) is the fact Switch isn't low persistence and syncing the back light with refresh rates. VR on the switch would be a smeary mess if the player has to look around and there's nothing Nintendo can do to solve this short of doing things that are stationary or creating better hardware. These problems existed for decades and the solutions are at hardware levels.
Honestly, it's the reason I don't expect Nintendo to enter the VR hardware space anytime soon. Because they can't use commoditized parts they pulled from the bargain bin. There just are certain things you absolutely must have and you have to pay a little extra or it's terrible. It just doesn't seem like Nintendo's style... although an Oculus Quest competitor would be awesome.
I don't think they will do full games like you're worried about because the market would be extremely tiny and even Sony can't get many devs to do full games on their VR platform. It will be VB games plus some experiences, which what the speculation is about. I think a few people predicted Metroid or Mario Kart VR mode as an add on experience and that may be possible, but it all depends on how they want to position it.
The Switch is fundamentally not a VR device, it's also not going to cost an extra $300 or $500 for VR. so what I wrote about was VB games, perhaps upgraded and simple experiences.
I'm not entirely clear what you need to go on a tangent there to talk down the Switch hardware. Seems a little unwarranted given the context of the discussion.
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I'd say it's less about myself and more about opening the eyes of those that haven't had the chance to experience VR properly in a way that would be compelling to them.
The hardest part of VR is conveying to people what it's actually like, within VR tech itself playing 3DOF VR doesn't convey what 6DOF is like, even playing 6DOF without fully tracked motion controllers doesn't convey what it's like to play with it. If I could I'd have everyone that has enjoyed a Mario game at some point in their life play Astrobot, however that's not possible and a shame if their first impressions of VR by Nintendo are similar to that of mobile VR as it's a completely different ball game to the high end and has so much potential.
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Could checkerboard rendering be coming to 3DS?
read that. internalize how silly it sounds on its face, because for those of us who have some basic understanding of what it takes to create a quality VR experience, that's how silly the notion of Switch VR sounds and continues to sound
then again, Nintendo did put out the 3DS, a system that was all about 3D but with a screen so small and low-res that it constrained the 3DS's ability to create the illusion of more than like two inches of depth max (glasses-free 3D was cool for like two weeks as far as I'm concerned)
read that. internalize how silly it sounds on its face, because for those of us who have some basic understanding of what it takes to create a quality VR experience, that's how silly the notion of Switch VR sounds and continues to sound
then again, Nintendo did put out the 3DS, a system that was all about 3D but with a screen so small and low-res that it constrained the 3DS's ability to create the illusion of more than like two inches of depth max (glasses-free 3D was cool for like two weeks as far as I'm concerned)
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Hasn't Nintendo explicitly stated within the past couple years that they weren't working on anything VR related? Obviously stuff like that Mario Kart VR thing exists but as others have pointed the Switch's tech would seemingly be enough to deter them from exploring any real VR stuff.
Again though as others pointed out, I COULD see them doing some LABO specific Switch VR stuff but I wouldn't ever expect them to build a true VR platform (especially not off of the Switch's tech).
Again though as others pointed out, I COULD see them doing some LABO specific Switch VR stuff but I wouldn't ever expect them to build a true VR platform (especially not off of the Switch's tech).
I can only see an announcement this year and it won't be running on the current Switch model we have now.
Wasn't there also a rumor of a slimmer Switch model releasing this year as well?
Wasn't there also a rumor of a slimmer Switch model releasing this year as well?
Why would they release a VR accessory that doesn't work on the 30 million Switches they've already sold? It would have been like if PSVR only worked on Pros. You are kneecapping yourself.
Because I selfishly don't want it to run on the current Switch since the games that will come from it will be Labo like quality. Also I agree that the current screen is quite hefty to wear for extended game sessions which is what Miyamoto criticized against VR gaming.
hrm... Perhaps there will be a new model of Switch specifically for VR/ premium experience. I'd buy one for 300.
gonintendo is now reporting with their own source that Labo VR is happening https://gonintendo.com/stories/328912-rumor-next-nintendo-labo-release-to-include-vr-support
Nintendo Labo VR Kit with Minecraft support... Nah, wouldn't work, right?
They also say the source is not Emily Rogers, which is interesting.
Seems like a decent idea to try. Not sure how popular it will be with things like PSVR on the market, but who knows?
I like that second idea but this entire post illustrates that the most likely implementation is that the rumored smaller cheaper Switch will support vr.
The only issue is that while it will be easy to take out the dock and joycons to reduce that cost there is still a need for buttons.
Are haptic displays robust enough to forgo physical buttons?
Is it possible that it's not actually Switch related and that the Mario Kart mobile game could be Mario Kart vr?
Because people in this thread are throwing out non-sense like Nintendo magic is going to solve all the issues nobody else solved. Sample and hold blur isn't even technically caused by hardware. It's caused by the human brain. It's the brain that makes it appear as though it's smearing. Pointing out technical facts isn't talking down, or going on a tangent, or unwarranted. It's explaining that things like Virtual Boy emulation could be pretty cool. Anything where you move your head is going to be a smeary mess. Nintendo's "magic" isn't solving any of that. The screen is what it is.
If Nintendo can really pull this off, I'm incredibly excited to play Link's Awakening in VR. Wouldn't change the experience too much, but the game is already like you're looking into a toy box.
3rd parties in the vr space are a different animal from 3rd parties. If they haven't gotten a moneyhat from facebook or Sony they will release on every viable platform they can afford to.
From established pc and console 3rd parties We'll atleast get Skyrim vr. Considering the landscape of vr games that's decent.
I personally don't buy this rumor. If in some crazy way it is true, they would need to do something akin to the LG VR Headset a few years back (It plugged into the USB-C port on the phone.
With that said, The reason I don't think this is real is because for this device to be reasonable it would need to follow modern VR which is moving to inside-out based tracking. That isn't an easy task to accomplish or just build out of the blue. Google & Oculus have spent years on their solutions.
With that said, The reason I don't think this is real is because for this device to be reasonable it would need to follow modern VR which is moving to inside-out based tracking. That isn't an easy task to accomplish or just build out of the blue. Google & Oculus have spent years on their solutions.
That's fair. I thought I kept my speculation reasonable, but yeah no amount of 'magic' will fix the technical shortcomings your noted.
But to be honest, with nvidia handling their GPU and APIs, I have a lot more faith that they can outsource the right software and hardware solutions for when they decide to jump in. So I was taken aback by your 'bagain bin' comments. The Switch SoC and tech included in it certainly isn't bargain bin. As with any Nintendo hardware, they made certain choices. I suppose they could have dropped HD rumble and detachable joy cons and multiple batteries and gyros for a single unit design and put more of the hardware budget elsewhere, but the Switch wouldn't be quite like what it is.
If this does materialize I wonder which first party games will get a VR mode.
Mario Kart, Tennis, Arms, Let's Go seem like no brainers.
BOTW, Luigi's Mansion are doable but may require some actual work.
It would be funny if Starlink got VR support in the Winter.
Nintendo recently has shown more of a willingness to follow industry trends but they are first and foremost a trendsetter on hardware. If they see it possible to support VR now it isn't because of standards set by other companies because their focus simply isn't as price conscious as Nintendo typically is.
Mario Kart, Tennis, Arms, Let's Go seem like no brainers.
BOTW, Luigi's Mansion are doable but may require some actual work.
It would be funny if Starlink got VR support in the Winter.
Nintendo recently has shown more of a willingness to follow industry trends but they are first and foremost a trendsetter on hardware. If they see it possible to support VR now it isn't because of standards set by other companies because their focus simply isn't as price conscious as Nintendo typically is.
I think it would have to have something to do with the joycons.
As nifty as that mock up of the Switch is, the low res screen won't work so close to your face.
Maybe some kind of glasses or something that manipulates what you see on the TV screen or Switch screen.
If Nintendo does have a VR planned for Switch, it will obviously be something unconventional.
The Switch doesn't have the power or high res screen for traditional VR.
What it does have, is motion controllers and a portable screen. Meaning you could bring this "VR" on the go.
As nifty as that mock up of the Switch is, the low res screen won't work so close to your face.
Maybe some kind of glasses or something that manipulates what you see on the TV screen or Switch screen.
If Nintendo does have a VR planned for Switch, it will obviously be something unconventional.
The Switch doesn't have the power or high res screen for traditional VR.
What it does have, is motion controllers and a portable screen. Meaning you could bring this "VR" on the go.
The resolution specs for VR is overstated. People enjoyed using VR in the 90s. They didn't like the price and bulkiness of the hardware.
It's not just resolution.
- the resolution is too low
- the device is too large which would make cardboard style difficult with lenses etc
- it's too heavy to slot into the front of something attached to your head by cardboard
I think people are reading "VR" and immediately thinking of the kind of full-immersion implementations that Vive and Rift are making. "VR" is far more than that, there's a broader spectrum of applications. The Switch may not be capable of full-immersion VR, but it has an enormous amount of other capabilities that allow it to create less immersive experiences in the CMR (computer-mediated reality) spectrum.
For instance: "VR window" headtracking on regular TVs using the motion camera. (i.e.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCR44CSMYqE)
We know what the last few Labo kits look like. There's a virtual camera, a simulated bird, and a detailed arm tracking rig. These could all be related to VR - not fully immersive VR, but "a window into another world" sort of alternate-reality CMR.
For instance: "VR window" headtracking on regular TVs using the motion camera. (i.e.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCR44CSMYqE)
We know what the last few Labo kits look like. There's a virtual camera, a simulated bird, and a detailed arm tracking rig. These could all be related to VR - not fully immersive VR, but "a window into another world" sort of alternate-reality CMR.
So less like astro bot and more like Denpa Men or Face Raiders?
Denpa Men and Face Raiders are AR games. "Augmented" reality, meaning they take an image from the real world - via camera - and superimpose a computer-generated image on top. So you're just looking at the real world, and the 3DS is adding "things you can't otherwise see".
What I'd guess they have planned for Switch, is sort of "SR". "Simulated" reality, basically the same thing but the world on the other side of the screen is entirely fictional. Especially because the Switch has no actual camera. It's not entirely VR - you don't get immersed into it without a headset. But it's still fictional, and you still have more immersion than if you were just looking at a screen and holding a controller.
If they ARE doing the Google Cardboard thing, this guy a year or so ago did a "simulation" of how it might look.
The only way I see this happening is if the rumored Switch mini has a 5 inch/1080P (Minimum) screen. 720P is just not enough for good VR, especially with a 7 inch screen like the Switch currently has.
VR integration would make a port of Mario 3D World/3D Land feel really special, and would tap into that Astro Bot vibe.
VR integration would make a port of Mario 3D World/3D Land feel really special, and would tap into that Astro Bot vibe.
Something that immediately clicks after playing Astro Bot, is how awesome a VR Mario could be. I'm crazy to see Nintendo's talent applied to a VR game.
If this rumor has any truth, I think the Labo element is key. The games will be small and push no boundaries. Perhaps 4-5 Virtual Boy games built in, or a revival of the 3D glasses requiring NES games (remember those?). Not true VR, but a VR adjacent toy that's low risk for all involved.
