…is what I would say if I listened to all the cynics on YouTube and Twitter. Or Kotaku. The Labo VR kit
what makes it work?
The Nintendo Switch console itself and its joy-con controllers are riddled with sensors, HD-rumble and even an infrared camera which all come together to make things like the Blaster toy incredibly immersive and fun to play.The main attraction
But what the world was really looking forward to was playing The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild in VR. The whole game is available to you in VR via a free update and just by checking a box in the Options menu. So when the time finally came, I updated my game and lo and behold, VR Zelda was finally within my grasp.
Hyrule in your face
After sinking around 200 hours into the game and playing it to death, Nintendo found a way to bring me back. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in…with VR. Simple gameplay elements like climbing a mountain are now a unique experience. I can’t really describe it. Everything feels bigger. Hyrule is in your face.rose-tinted labo VR goggles
You will get a new sense of the scale of Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule. Gliding down from an incredible height will definitely get your blood pumping and shield-surfing down a snowy peak is a lot more impressive in VR. Things you took for granted before are suddenly immersing you further into the world. From snow and ash particles to flying arrows coming towards you, you will appreciate the VR mode even in the “boring” parts of the game.
a word of advice
The take-home message here is this: if you’re curious about the Labo VR, get the Starter Kit. It’s the cheapest package and it gives you the chance to play fun games and experiment with Breath of the Wild in an entirely new fashion. My advice is to take it slow at first because if you don’t let your brain get used to it, you will get motion sickness. I made the mistake of moving around too quickly in the beginning, looking up, looking down, marvelling at the nearest structure while gliding, and I had to pause to take a breath.magical
I lost myself in the game for a couple of hours, visiting the major landmarks and it was incredibly fun. If you own the Labo VR unit and Zelda, try this. If you don’t own Labo VR yet, give it a shot. It’s affordable VR and Nintendo was nice enough to update Super Mario Odyssey with some VR levels as well. A lot of journalists and content creators online forgot that for kids or fans that want VR without spending hundreds on an expensive wired device, playing Zelda this way without it costing them an arm and a leg is something truly magical.
Nintendo. they know their s**t
In my opinion, Nintendo hit it out of the park once again. I bought a handheld hybrid console with insane controllers that can connect to the TV, become a home console AND I get to enjoy wireless VR on it now. All this for the lowest price in the market and with some of the best games of all time available on it. Only Nintendo could pull this off.