Hackers have recently unearthed virtual reality functionality within the Nintendo Switch’s system-level firmware, which had been buried there for over a year.
Switch hackers originally found references to a “VrMode” within version 3.0.0 of the Switch’s firmware, which released in June 2017. Only recently was a hacker, random666_kys on Twitter, able to unearth what looked like VR functionality, buried in the Switch’s firmware.
The Switch would split the screen into two identical images to achieve the immersive effect. Let’s not forget about the infamous 2016 patent filed by Nintendo that mentioned a headset that a player would wear in conjunction with the Switch. What’s puzzling is that so far, Nintendo has remained very lukewarm on the idea of VR, having been burned by the commercial failure of the Virtual Boy in 1995.
It is not unusual for Nintendo to keep scrapped content in its games—hackers can find plenty of unused animations, items, etc. if they dig deep enough into a game’s code—but it seems fishy for Nintendo to allow VR accessibility in the Switch without so much as a peep from PR. They have the patent and the functionality on the Switch, its fastest-selling console. With such massive success with the Switch, why would they drag their feet on jumping on the VR bandwagon?
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