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Playing Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Virtual Boy sounds daft, but it's entirely possible on the retro console remake. That's thanks to the fact that the beloved RPG has Stereoscopic 3D Labo VR support baked in, which basically splits the open world romp's visuals into two circular windows. Upon telling my friends this, they egged me on to take on Calamity Ganon using the cursed goggles, but alas, I was defeated by the lack of a specific setting.
To cut the Virtual Boy some slack, the new Switch 2 accessory isn't exclusively to blame for my now ongoing migraine symptoms. If anything, the blame lies more with Breath of the Wild's VR Labo support itself, and I'd still be met with a terrible fate if I used the now seven-year-old cardboard kit.
The real antagonist in this situation is the feature's lack of Interpupillary Distance, or "IPD" for short. This is a setting you can dial in to match your specific sight requirements when using the Virtual Boy app and the Labo ToyCon 04 VR kit, but it's seemingly missing from games like Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As a result, the stereoscopic visuals feel slightly off, and I could instantly tell that my eyes were working overtime trying to interpret the effect.
Typically speaking, any mention of migraines and the Virtual Boy in one sentence is linked to the aggressive red visuals. These are pretty hostile towards your peepers when using the original version, especially since the OG console uses mechanical oscillating mirrors and red LEDs rather than a traditional display. By using the Switch/Switch 2 display, Nintendo has actually largely resolved these issues, and you can play Breath of the Wild in full color by simply removing the plastic overlay filter.
Even with the filter on, though, I've been able to play a chunk of Virtual Boy Wario Land without upsetting my noggin. It was only upon trying to run through Hyrule with no access to IPD settings that I ended up with the very migraine I've been fearing, and it really highlights the importance of adjusting the settings correctly when using any VR headset.
One thing I will potentially dunk on the Virtual Boy for is its lack of a physical IPD wheel. The original console had a way to tweak the settings on top of the headset, meaning you could quickly dial things in by hand. If Nintendo had opted to keep that feature, it would have helped maintain natural compatibility with any stereoscopic 3D Switch game, past, present, or future.
Of course, having more than just pretty plastic elements with the new Virtual Boy is just a green pipe dream. This accessory is very much made specifically for the accompanying classics app, and Ninty would probably slap our collective wrists if it knew we were trying to play contemporary games with the goggles.
This is very much just a forewarning that if you do get the itch to revisit Hyrule in VR using the Virtual Boy, it might upset your eyes. If you've had better luck using your peepers with the older Labo headset, be sure to let me know (I'll be lying down and sticking to the Zelda Game and Watch for novelty thrills once I recover.)
Looking for ways to play the classic Zelda games on the go? Swing by the best retro handhelds for portable emulators and more. If you're sticking with Ninty's handheld, take a peek at the best Nintendo Switch cases to protect your hybrid console.
