Take a Labo of this…
Nintendo surprised everyone with it’s initial Labo products, but no-one saw them coming out with something as bizarre and surreal as Labo VR. How could Nintendo make a VR peripheral for the Switch made out of cardboard? Sure, Google has done something similar with Google Cardboard…but it’s not quite the same, it also doesn’t have a bunch of other cardboard accessories like a blaster gun, camera, wind pedal or elephant trunk to mix things up. But just how is it?
Obviously, the resolution is reduced from high-end VR systems like PSVR, Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, but considering the Starter Kit is only £35, it’s incredibly cheap for what is actually something pretty special. You can also buy 2 Expansion Sets for £17 each or get everything shoved together in a huge box that’ll set you back £70, either way…it’s a steal compared to other VR experiences.
The actual VR headset is pretty sturdy when assembled, but it and it’s accessories do take a considerable amount of time to make. The box estimates anywhere between 60-120 minutes for most of the items, so it’s best to make when you’ve got enough spare time. What follows is what is perhaps the most intuitive and in-depth tutorial I have ever seen, giving you a fully 360 degree view at your headset or accessory as you are building it…I’m not kidding when I say that the guys at Lego should really, really take notes. I cannot stress enough just how impressive just the tutorial is! Moving on…
Once you have finally assembled the VR headset, you’ll be able to launch it and try out some head-tracking mini-games and ones that just show off what it is capable of, while other accessories also have their own mini-games that vary from target practice to racing and everything in-between. There are some features that I will leave for you to discover for yourself, but suffice to say that there is more bang for your buck than I thought and what I saw was something really special.
It’s also important to note that the Labo VR kit is accessible for ages 6+, meaning that even my son who is 6 was able to try it and was blown away just by looking around with the headset, I’ve never seen such a reaction from him and it was amazing to see. It goes to prove that the Labo VR is accessible to pretty much everyone, while other VR kits ask you to be a bit older. Nintendo clearly know this and have planned ahead to make VR more accessible to younger gamers, something that I think is genius.
The Verdict
As for the actual VR experience, it is a lot better than I thought it would be. It’s not high-end, but it really doesn’t matter…it felt amazing and I honestly can’t wait for the Mario Odyssey and Zelda: Breath of the Wild VR updates next week. I really can’t recommend Labo VR enough, it’s accessible to most, affordable and most of all, fun. Even building the kits are fun with the help of the incredible tutorial, so stop procrastinating and pick up a kit now!