The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be fully be playable in Nintendo Labo VR. The open-world epic is the one of two first-party titles that will be playable with the soon-to-release Labo kits.
Nintendo pulled the curtain back on its cardboard-covered take on virtual reality in early March. Like regular Labo, players construct and customize their own peripherals, though now they’ll have functional Toy-Con VR goggles to tinker with. Despite the name, the limited technology doesn't actually allow for true virtual reality, at least compared to Oculus or PlayStation VR. That’s due to the goggles’ low resolution. Labo instead emphasizes brief, simple experiences aimed primarily at kids. A Starter set, two expansion kits, and an all-encompassing Labo VR kit are slated to launch April 12.
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Per Eurogamer, on April 25th a free update will make The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, along with Super Mario Odyssey, the first major titles to spotlight the technology. Players can experience the entirety of Link’s adventure while wearing the goggles. However, a disclaimer in the video states that the game’s pre-rendered cutscenes will not function in VR. Activating the feature is as simple as entering the game’s menu settings and switching on the newly-added Toy-Con VR option (presumably added as part of the update). Additionally, players can begin playing in VR mid-playthrough; there’s no need to start a new game.
Super Mario Odyssey’s compatibility will be comparatively more limited. Players can play new mini-missions set in three kingdoms: Cap, Seaside, and Luncheon. All we know about these missions is that they’ll entail collecting music notes and coins.
Nintendo Labo hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire, so it’ll be intriguing to see if adding VR moves the needle a bit. It’s tough to imagine many players spending any prolonged time with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild due to the goggles’ less-than stellar resolution. That’s a long game to spend looking at what’s likely muddier visuals. Super Mario Odyssey’s more succinct offerings seems like a more ideal approach. Kids will likely get a kick out of Nintendo Labo VR, if nothing else for the inherent fun of building with cardboard. But VR aficionados should keep in mind that the technology has been intentionally positioned as more of a nifty gimmick rather than a significant game-changer.
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