Nintendo adds another dimension of play to its Nintendo Labo line, which already merges crafting with real-world gaming. On April 12, the company will launch the Nintendo Labo: VR Kit, which combines the physical and digital gameplay of Nintendo Labo with VR technology to create a simple and shareable virtual reality experience for kids and families.
Nintendo Labo: VR Kit is the fourth kit in the Nintendo Labo series, providing the tools to make DIY cardboard creations called Toy-Con; play a variety of games with these creations; and discover how Nintendo Switch technology brings it all to life.
Nintendo Labo: VR Kit offers six new Toy-Con creations to build, including the Toy-Con VR Goggles, which combine with the other creations to allow players to interact with the virtual world through imaginative real-world actions. Kids can pretend to fend off an alien invasion with the Toy-Con Blaster, experience a colorful in-game under-sea world and take pictures of the sea life with the Toy-Con Camera, and more.
To help encourage social gameplay, players simply slip the Nintendo Switch console into the Toy-Con VR Goggles and hold it up to their eyes to explore numerous games and experiences. There is no head strap required, and players can also turn off the VR feature and use the included screen holder instead of the VR Goggles to experience any of the included games and experiences in 2-D.
“This new kit builds on the core tenets of Nintendo Labo –Make, Play and Discover– to introduce virtual reality in a way that’s fun and approachable for both kids and kids at heart,” says Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s senior vice-president of sales and marketing. “We wanted to design an experience that encourages both virtual and real-world interactions among players through passing around Toy-Con creations.”
Nintendo Labo: VR Kit will launch in stores with two primary configurations, one that includes all Toy-Con creations and one that includes a smaller selection of projects to get started:
- Nintendo Labo: VR Kit: Available at a suggested retail price of $79.99, the complete Nintendo Labo: VR Kit includes the Nintendo Switch software and materials to build all six Toy-Con projects – the Toy-Con VR Goggles, Toy-Con Blaster, Toy-Con Camera, Toy-Con Bird, Toy-Con Wind Pedal and Toy-Con Elephant – as well as a Screen Holder and Safety Cap. It’s a good option for kids and families who want to dive in to the full experience.
- Nintendo Labo: VR Kit – Starter Set + Blaster: Available at a suggested retail price of only $39.99, the Starter Set includes the Nintendo Switch software, plus all the components to build the Toy-Con VR Goggles and Toy-Con Blaster, as well as the Screen Holder and Safety Cap. The Starter Set is a great entry point into the world of Nintendo Labo VR.
Players that already own a starter set can purchase the following optional expansion sets:
- Nintendo Labo: VR Kit – Expansion Set 1**: Available at a suggested retail price of $19.99, Expansion Set 1 includes the Toy-Con Elephant and Toy-Con Camera.
- Nintendo Labo: VR Kit – Expansion Set 2**: Available at a suggested retail price of $19.99, Expansion Set 2 includes the Toy-Con Wind Pedal and Toy-Con Bird.
TheToy-Con Garage mode – included as part of all Nintendo Labo software – also reutrns in this latest kit, giving users all the basic programming tools they need to experiment on their own.