The Virtual Boy (jap. ) is a video game console of Nintendo, which were published 1995 in Japan and the USA. The Virtual Boy resembles diver eyeglasses, into which one in-sees. Each eye notices thereby another, easily shifted picture, whereby a material working 3D-Effekt is produced.

The console reminded of a Virtual Reality helmet, is fastened however not to the head and is not moved also not during the use. Instead the Virtual Boy has a condition foot, in order to place it during playing on a table. The player steers with a Gamepad.

Each of the two displays consists of red LEDs on black reason, whereby the picture is mono chrome. Without a colored picture Nintendo did, since the then available green and blue LED was not efficient and the LCD technology was not suitable due to their for the necessary picture repeating rate approximately 50 cycles per second. In each of the two displays are 224 red LEDs, which are arranged in a row. By means of a mirror, which is back and forth swung by mechanics in a high frequency, the picture with a dissolution of 384 x is produced for 224 pixels. By the mirror the equipment was smaller and more economical than more sensitive with a full LED assembly, however also to impacts.

Since the Virtual Boy was in Japan and the USA a failure, he was not published in Europe.

Critics called different possible causes for the failure of the equipment:

• Longer playing could cause headache. The relevant warning reference on the packing could have deterred buyers.
• Many had expected and did not see a portable system their expectations not fulfilled to the equipment. Compared with usual home consoles many felt the attitude when playing as uncomfortable.
• The selection of software titles was small, and only some of it made meaningful use of the of the equipment. Play manufacturers hesitated with the development of new plays, since the new concept of the console was untested.
• Due to the unfavorable feature time the Virtual Boy competed with the Sega Saturn, Sony Playstation and also the largely announced Nintendo 64, whose start was approaching briefly.

Technical details

Related links

• Planet Virtual Boy - largest Virtual Boy web page in the net (also into German)
• Virtual-Boy.net - has much information (in English)
• Project: VB - Technical information to the VB
• VeeBee development
• Planet Nintendo - GameCube, N64, SNES, NES, GameBoy, Virtual Boy & CO. (German)
• Virtual Boy - range on the official Website of Nintendo OF America
• Virtual Boy - range on the official side of Nintendo CO. Ltd. (Japan)

Articles in category "Virtual Boy"

We found here 3 articles.

Related Websites

We found here 5 related websites.

• Nintendo Virtual Boy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Every Virtual Boy game has the option to pause automatically every 15-30 ... Without the technology of blue and green LEDs or LCD, the Virtual Boy was ...


• Nintendo.com's Virtual Boy Page.
  Official Nintendo site about the Virtual Boy includes photographs and service information.


• Planet Virtual Boy
  VIRTUAL BOY REVIEWS, VIDEOS, MODS, EMULATION, ROMS, SCREENSHOTS, CHEATS, ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS, CHAT, FORUM AND MUCH MORE VIRTUALBOY! ...


• Virtual-Boy FAQ
  A single text file with various pieces of information on the Virtual boy such as game lists, rumors...


• Virtual-Boy.net
  Fan page with machine specs, a FAQ, game lists, accessories information, wallpaper, high scores, reader...