I finally got a chance to use Nintendo Labo VR and I was surprisingly impressed. I had used the previous Labo kits and they were a fun take on video games and game hardware however not something I ever went back to. Not sure I will go back to the VR kit either but it did get me thinking more about the collision of the virtual and physical worlds.
Nintendo is not new to the virtual and physical world collision, from Duck Hunt to the Wii, Nintendo has been at the forefront of combining both worlds. However, Labo VR brings a new take on it. If the original Labo brought the gaming world to the physical world with dancing controllers and IR image maps, the new Labo VR brings the physical world to the virtual world.
I realize that taking the time to build your “controller” out of cardboard may not seem like a great use of video game time but the end result is. Having the ability to hold a physical blaster to shoot aliens in VR is natural. In most VR games today you are grabbing objects with your index finger on an unnatural remote or throwing a ball without letting go. Nintendo’s Labo VR kit changes that idea.
Yes, there are other VR options that do similar things like the Vive tennis racket or gloves that try to mimic the feel of an object, but Labo takes it to another level. It may seem silly to flap the wings of a bird to make it fly but the interactivity of the flapping is what makes it more natural than mashing a button. Being able to pull back on the blaster to get it ready and pushing the trigger to fire just makes sense. Your mind is already being tricked to think it is in a new world why try and make it think a button on a remote is an object or movement.
I also can’t help but think about how this will change the training world. We are already seeing better retention and error reduction when users are trained in VR. If we are able to start bringing more of the physical work into the virtual environment will we see even greater retention and learning? We’ll certainly, see the learning curve for using VR drop considerably.
By no means is Nintendo’s Labo VR the ultimate gaming platform, the games are basic at best, but could Labo be a tool in the classroom? I believe as we see more VR training the goal will continue to be getting as close to reality as possible. So bringing physical objects to the virtual world makes sense and can be very powerful.