Nintendo has made the shock announcement of the return of Virtual Boy.
Virtual Boy Nintendo Classics launches February 17, 2026 via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription on Switch 1 and 2, with 14 classic games due to roll out over time.
There’s a dedicated accessory needed to play, recreating the Virtual Boy peripheral of old, with a cardboard model also available.
Here’s the official blurb from Nintendo:
Select games from Nintendo’s stereoscopic 3D system, Virtual Boy, are coming to Nintendo Classics exclusively for Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack members. To play, you’ll need Joy-Con or Joy-Con 2 controllers and the dedicated accessory based on the original Virtual Boy hardware – stereoscopic 3D included – when inserting the Nintendo Switch 2 or Nintendo Switch system. Dive into titles like Mario’s Tennis, Galactic Pinball, Teleroboxer and more as they release over time. Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics comes to Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack Feb. 17, 2026. The accessory needed to play Virtual Boy – Nintendo Classics, as well as a cardboard version, will be available to pre-purchase on the My Nintendo Store in the future. Visit here to learn more.
For more, check out everything announced at the Nintendo Direct September 2025.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
