Feb 18, 2026
3 min read
You'll need one of the Virtual Boy add-ons to play the launch game.
Nintendo's Virtual Boy app is now available for download
You will need one of the Virtual Boy accessories to play the launch games.
Nintendo's Virtual Boy app is now available for download on Switch and Switch 2 as part of its Nintendo Classics offering.You will need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to access the launch titles.Unlike Nintendo's other retro emulators,It also requires a separate accessory.
As a reminder, the Virtual Boy was a portable desktop system released in 1995 and the first computer capable of rendering stereoscopic 3D images.It had a face with a red monochrome screen built on a bipod, so instead of wearing it like a modern VR headset, you had to push your face into it to play games.
Once you enter the third dimension, there's no going back... #VirtualBoy - Nintendo Classics now available on #NintendoSwitch2 and #NintendoSwitch, as part of the #NintendoSwitchOnline + Expansion Pack!pic.twitter.com/2uLd8iYorB
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) February 17, 2026
While undeniably innovative for its time, the console never took off (to say the least), but Nintendo is giving those who missed it in the '90s the chance to experience one of history's strangest experiments in 2026. Aesthetically, the $100 Virtual Boy add-on is a near-perfect replica of the original console. The big difference is that it doesn't have a built-in display, but rather a slot that you can plug into the Switch or Switch 2sliding. And unlike the OG Virtual Boy, it is also wireless.
If $100 seems steep for something that's about to gather dust before summer starts, Nintendo is also selling a $25 cardboard version (sadly, your old Labo VR headset won't work here).Both are available for purchase from the My Nintendo Store.
The Virtual Boy app launches today with the following games: 3d Tetris, Galactic Pinball, Golf, Innsmouth Castle, Red Alert, Teleroboxer and Virtual Boy Wario Land.More games will be added in the future, including Mario Clash, Mario Tennis and the Space Invaders virtual collection.
