Why the high-end doesn’t make sense for Nintendo’s foray into VR

Late last week rumors popped up suggesting Nintendo is getting into VR in 2019. Reports didn’t reveal much other than that the company could release a headset compatible with its Switch console as part of its Labo line. Past patents and a little data mining support the idea that the Switch could go VR, despite the company’s long-voiced skepticism. We’re still taking the reports with a pinch of salt, but they do paint an interesting picture.On paper, it’s an exciting premise. Zelda, Metroid, Mario Kart, and more in VR? Where do we sign up? Anyone with even passing knowledge of how headsets work will have some questions, though. Everyone knows that the best VR requires a high-resolution display, six degrees of freedom (6DOF) tracking and beefy processing power to work. The Switch, with its 720p onboard screen, 3DOF motion controllers and Nvidia Tegra X1 processor, doesn’t tick any of those boxes. It’s possible that any VR headset peripheral could include a better screen, more horsepower and 6DOF inside-out tracking, but it seems like a tall order.But maybe Nintendo doesn’t need to push for high-end VR, at least not yet. Maybe it’s got more modest plans for its VR beginnings.