Nintendo’s Latest Labo Kit Introduces Kids to Virtual Reality
Nintendo’s latest Labo kit fuses DIY cardboard construction projects with virtual reality, promising a simple and shareable VR experience for kids and families.
The Nintendo Labo: VR Kit comes out Apr. 12. It costs $80 and it includes the Nintendo Labo software, six new Toy-Con creations: 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.
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A second Nintendo Labo: VR Kit is a starter set that comes with the Toy-Con Blaster. It costs $40 and includes the Nintendo Labo software, the Toy-Con VR Goggles, the aforementioned blaster, the screen holder, and the safety cap. The Nintendo Labo: VR Kit Starter Kit will also launch with two optional expansion sets for $20 each. The first includes the Toy-Con Elephant and Toy-Con Camera, while the second has the Toy-Con Wind Pedal and Toy-Con Bird. While the VR Kit will be available in stores next month, the two expansions will be available online only.
The VR Kit is designed to be passed around and shared among a group of people, Nintendo said. To help encourage this social gameplay, people can simply slip the Nintendo Switch console into the Toy-Con VR Goggles and hold it up to their eyes to play a variety of games. Unlike other VR devices, it doesn’t require a headset.
“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,” said 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 said it will offer more information about other VR experiences in the future.
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