Back to Timeline

Nintendo Virtual Boy

Nintendo·1995·Console

Log in to track this item

Spotlights

No spotlights yet. Log in to add content.

About

In the year before the release of the Virtual Boy, various rumours were spreading about a 32-bit console from Nintendo including one about a Virtual Reality console (see original concept here). On 15th November 1994, it became clear that this was Nintendo's Virtual Boy console when it was unveiled at the Shoshinkai Exhibition (Spaceworld \'94) in Tokyo, Japan. It was then released for sale in Japan on 21st July 1995 and in the US on 14th August 1995. The Virtual Boy was inspired by the experimentation that was occurring in the area of virtual reality around the mid-1990s (for example, Sega VR). It was designed by Gunpei Yokoi, the designer of Nintendo\'s very successful GameBoy and the Game & Watch series. He was able to achieve a 3D effect by projecting two separate images (one black and one r

Specifications

Cpu
NEC V810 (32-bit RISC)
Gpu
Custom VIP (Virtual Image Processor)
Ram
1 MB DRAM + 512 KB VRAM
Audio
16-bit stereo, 5 channels + 1 noise
Games
22
Sound
16-bit stereo sound, built-in stereo speakers
Colors
4 shades of red (LED display)
Rating
5.7/10
Av Output
Integrated LED display (no TV output)
Cpu Speed
20 MHz
Units Sold
770,000
Generation
4th Generation
Resolution
384x224 per eye (stereoscopic)
Console Type
Console
Launch Price
79 USD
Media Format
Cartridge
Release Date
1995-Jul-21
Media Capacity
512 KB to 2 MB
Controller Ports
1 (extension port unused)

References