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Nintendo seemingly files patent for Switch VR headset peripheral

Zelda in your face

Nintendo seemingly files patent for Switch VR headset peripheral

Nintendo could be working on a VR headset for its upcoming Switch console.

As noted by our sister site The Virtual Report, the company has filed a patent for a peripheral that uses a removable display and a pair of lenses. It appears to be used in conjunction with the Switch when it is undocked.

The patent also describes straps that keep the device attached to the user's head, likely for 360-degree movement. It would therefore operate in much the same way as a Gear VR or Google Daydream.

Virtual or reality?

Nintendo president Tatusmi Kimishima has previously stated that the company has "a lot of interest" in VR, so it's entirely possible that Nintendo is in fact working on VR.

Then again, it could be entirely meaningless. Companies will sometimes file patents and then never develop them to block other manufacturers from using the same idea.

The Switch might not even be powerful enough to run VR as a standalone device. The undocked base unit is said to be 60% slower than when the console is docked and used on a TV.


Staff Writer