Virtual Boy

The Nintendo Virtual Boy, released in 1995, was Nintendo’s first attempt at a true stereoscopic 3D handheld, featuring a red‑tinted, head‑mounted display that projected two separate images to each eye to create a depth illusion. The device ran on a 32‑bit processor, offered a small monochrome screen with a resolution of 384 × 224 pixels per eye, and came with a built‑in controller that let players tilt the unit up and down to adjust the viewing angle. Despite its ambitious concept and a modest library of titles—including Virtual Boy Wario Land and Mario’s Tennis—the Virtual Boy suffered from high price, limited battery life, and uncomfortable ergonomics, leading to its quick discontinuation and cult‑status reputation as one of Nintendo’s most notorious missteps.