Nintendo brings VR to Switch with new Labo kit

Nintendo announced a new addition to the Labo line on Wednesday: a cardboard construction set that includes will bring “simple and shareable” virtual reality experiences to Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Labo: VR Kit is described as a “unique first VR experience” that will be made available on April 12 for Switch.

The new Labo VR Toy-Con set will come in a variety of packages. The full $79.99 set will include six Toy-Con Projects: a set of VR goggles, a rocket launcher-like blaster, a camera, a bird, a wind pedal, and an elephant. There’ll also be an additional screen holder and safety cap included.

For those who aren’t interested in the full line of VR Labo accessories, Nintendo will also release a Starter Kit including the VR hardware and blaster Toy-Con at $39.99. To complement the Starter Kit, Nintendo will release two expansion packs ($19.99 each), one of which will include the elephant and camera, and the other of which will include the wind pedal and bird.

Labo owners who want to experiment with their own VR creations can use the Toy-Con Garage software suite. Beyond “basic programming tools,” Nintendo hasn’t said how Toy-Con Garage will work with the Nintendo Labo: VR Kit yet.

While the Labo VR Kit clearly isn’t meant to mimic the power of traditional VR headsets currently available for PCs and other consoles, it looks like a fantastic way to try out the digital realm without a steep upfront cost. The Labo has been an experimental product line for Nintendo so far, but it’s interesting to see all of the possible spins on the cardboard formula.