NINTENDO news this week includes a big update for Zelda Breath of the Wild fans, which could put the Switch console ahead of Microsoft’s Xbox One even further.
Papa Smurf has decided to organize an exceptional party! To do so, he asks all the Smurfs to get involved with the preparations to make the party unforgettable! Set off on an exciting journey in adventure mode, play 50 smurf-tastic mini-games, and don't let Gargamel spoil the fun!
Games Asylum: "A change of pace can do wonders for the soul. Nobody knows this better than Cleo, the protagonist of this nature-centric wetlands restoration sim. After city life takes its toll, Cleo heads back home to help an old school friend establish a frog refuge, all the while taking comfort in the niceties that working outdoors provides. The game itself provides a welcome change of pace too, offering a laid-back experience. You won’t find much to challenge or test your mettle, but you will discover a few different aspects to become engrossed in."
SteamWorld Games writes: "Welcome to our EXCLUSIVE Extended Gameplay Trailer with Art Director Brandt Andrist!"
LOL
Still not impressed, just like I am with every form of VR thus far.
Get back to me when we have VR we can control with thoughts.[not that far off, believe it or not]
This goes to show that Nintendo is willing to combat a possible competitor in the Oculus Quest and get their feet wet in learning about what works in VR and what doesn't while making it fun. Even after the failed WiiU, they're still doing the console thing.
Microsoft on the other hand is a near trillion dollar company. But can't lift a finger to make or port any games to help the 7+ Windows headsets on PC like Forza or Halo, backed out in delivering VR for consoles after misleading gamers to buy an Xbox One X. No wonder they are not considered a console gaming company. More about subscriptions and removing ownership than moving gaming forward.
Wait...what ?!
Whereas I'd love to agree, I can't help but think this Labo VR is purely a gimmick and nothing more. Have you seen the device? Due to the gyroscopes being within the Joycons, and not the screen, you have to hold the device up against your eyes at all times. This will lead to arm strain and it being very uncomfortable after about 10-15 minutes or use.
also, you could create a custom strap so that you can hold the joycons as normal, but then you have the issue that movements are done via your hands and not your head - basically, prepare to throw up almost instantly.
People are saying the whole of Zelda will be in VR - well, first of all, it's over the shoulder viewing of the game, not full-on VR - secondly, with this setup, you won't last more than about 30 minutes within the 100+ hour game before you have to stop.
Finally, the elephant in the room - the resolution. Now, at the very most, the screen can offer a 640x720 per eye resolution, but the game has to be 60-90fps to avoid motion sickness (the higher the better if they are marketing it as a device for young children - even though under 12s shouldn't be using VR). Zelda barely stays at 30fps in a lot of places and Mario is a nice 60 at 720p, with the cutscenes at 640x720 already. So, this means the resolution will most likely have to be dropped even further on both games in order to provide a stable framerate.
TL;DR, the switch isn't powerful enough to provide decent VR, nor is the Labo kit a good replacement for an actual headset with its own tracking and hardware. It will be used by many yet it won't hold a candle to other products out there, even the mobile phone VR kits you can pick up cheap. So, I don't think MS will be worried about this 'toy' when it comes out, they should be more worried about being very late to the party with the PSVR now hitting over 4.5m owners.