Virtual Boy: The bizarre rise and quick fall of Nintendo's enigmatic red console

Nearly three decades after its release, the origins and development of Nintendo's Virtual Boy remain partially shrouded in mystery. The console, emerging during a peak period for virtual reality interest in Japan, represented a blend of opportunity and strategic experimentation within Nintendo, influenced by designer Gunpei Yokoi's philosophy.

While Japan was a hub for VR innovation in the early '90s, differing significantly in approach and perception from the U.S., Nintendo's foray into VR with the Virtual Boy was not isolated. Prior interests and internal discussions about virtual reality had been part of Nintendo's explorations, though specific details about in-house VR experiments or prototypes are scant, relying mostly on secondhand accounts.