Nintendo Virtual Boy

The Virtual Boy, released by Nintendo in July 1995, was the first portable game console that was capable of displaying true 3D graphics. Whilst the majority of video games use perspective to achieve the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional screen, the Virtual Boy created a more accurate illusion of depth through the use of parallax. In order to achieve this, the user placed their face inside a pair of rubber goggles on the front of the console in order to view a monochromatic (black and red) image. Despite the use of this innovative technique, the Virtual Boy was met with little enthusiasm and the console was discontinued just one year later.

3-D Effects

The Virtual Boy used a pair of 1 x 224 linear arrays of LEDs as a display (one per eye), rather than a full 384 x 224 array. The unit then scanned the array rapidly across the eye's field of view using flat oscillating mirrors to transform the single line of dots into a full field of dots. As each pixel was in use for only a tiny fraction of a second second (384 pixels wide, 50.2 Hz scan rate = approximately 52 ms per scanline), it was necessary to use high peak brightness to make the virtual display bright enough and be comfortable for the user to view. Every Virtual Boy game had the option to pause automatically every 15-30 minutes in order to remind the player to take a break, to prevent possible headaches and undue eye strain.

The Virtual Boy used red LED lights, chosen as red was the most striking colour to see, the least expensive and the lowest drain on batteries. Other LED colours were too expensive and would have forced the system to sell for over $500. It would not be until 1996 that high-efficiency indium gallium nitride (InGaN) green and blue LEDs would became available. Although a colour LCD was tested in development, it was found to cause users to see double rather than creating the illusion of depth.

Whilst the console was compact and seemingly portable, the use of the spinning mirrors meant that the console had to be placed on a steady surface, and completely blocked the player's view of their environment, making it completely unsuitable for using when out and about.

Controller

As the games for the Virtual Boy were set in a3D environment, it was important that the console's controller could operate along a Z-Axis. The controller was shaped like the letter 'M', with the player holding the two vertical pieces and the part that dipped down in the middle containing the battery pack. There were six buttons on the controller (A, B, Start, Select, L and R), the system's on\off switch, and two D-pads located at the top of the controller on either side. The 'A' and 'B' buttons were located below the D-pad on the right side and the 'Start' and 'Select' buttons are located in the same spot on the left side. The 'L' and 'R' buttons were located on the back of the controller behind the D-pad areas, where they functioned as additional triggers.

In games that relied heavily on the 3D environment, each D-pad controlled a different feature. For example, in the game Teleroboxer, each control pad, in conjunction with the trigger\shoulder buttons, controlled the position of the corresponding fist of the character, whilst in Red Alarm one directional pad controlled the forward, back and strafe movement of the protagonists' ship, whilst the other controlled the pitch and direction.

One of most unusual features of the controller was the extendable power supply that slid onto the back. This unit housed the 6 AA batteries required to power the system, and could be substituted with a slide-on adapter. Once the adapter was installed, a power adapter could be attached to provide constant power.

Reasons for Failure

The Virtual Boy was unsuccessful in the marketplace, for a number of reasons:

The console was considered too expensive, with an initial price of $180.
The unit was released before it was fully ready in order to fill in for the long delay in the development of the Nintendo 64. Not only did this mean that the console's development was rushed, but it also meant that much of the public was unwilling to spend money on what was seen as a stopgap videogame system.
Due to liability reasons, the console's box and manual warned that the display could cause eye problems and eyestrain, especially for those under the age of 7 years. This had the effect of frightening away many potential buyers.
Although the console was marketed as a portable system, it was not as portable as gamers thought it should be. Due to its weight and size, the Virtual Boy was nearly impossible to use while in motion, and doing so could cause damage to the unit.
The base of the system could not be adjusted vertically, which meant that players either had to lie down to use it, or place it on a table to play.
Few titles were available for the console, with only 22 games available between the North American and Japanese markets. This was partly due to the format of the console, which did not seem especially suited for certain types of games, and partly because few software developers wanted to invest time and money in such a new, unproven gaming system.
Other players could not watch the games, which took away the social aspect of gaming. Although a multiplayer option was planned that would connect two consoles together, this addition was not made before the product was discontinued.