Nintendo recently released its first foray into modern virtual reality with theNintendo Labo Toy-Con VR Kit, which includes its own software. In just a few weeks, owners of that kit will be able toutilize it withSuper Mario OdysseyandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Nintendo has just come out with some details about the latter.
WhileSuper Mario Odysseywill give players unique VR-exclusive missions,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwill actually be fully playable with the headset. A blog post onNintendo’s Japanese websitegave some additional details and screenshots of what this VR mode will entail. For one, this version will be more than just a stereoscopic presentation of the existing game and will allow rotational tracking.
That means that players don’t necessarily have to lock on to Link—they can move their head independently from Link’s movements. It isn’t exactly proper head tracking, but it matches with the VR experiences that the Labo VR Kit software provides. WhileBreath of the Wildwill remain a third-person experience, players can stop at their favorite Hyrule spots and take some time to explore the world around them. As the developers want players to use this feature to explore Hyrule, owners of the game can use their existing save files for this mode.
All of this can be easily toggled with a menu option turning a VR mode on. I can’t imagine that playing the entirety ofBreath of the Wildin VR mode is an ideal situation, and it’s a bit difficult to imagine how the resolution and frame rate of the game will translate into virtual reality. Definitely worth mentioning is how the Labo VR headset lacks any sort of head strap, which I suppose makes sense as the motion capabilities of the Switch come from the Joy-Con controllers.
It is evident that Nintendo’s vision for virtual reality is not for extended play sessions, but rather as a casual “viewfinder” experience. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if people rose to the unprompted challenge to play the entirety of the game in VR. Whoever you are, get ready for some tired arms.
An update scheduled for April 25 will giveSuper Mario OdysseyandThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WildVR capabilities.
