Nintendo has expanded its Virtual Boy library on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack with five classic titles, the company confirmed in a press release dated May 15, 2026.
The release makes these Virtual Boy games available through the Virtual Boy app on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, providing subscribers direct access via the Nintendo eShop.
Background
The Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s 32-bit, red-and-black stereoscopic home console, first released in 1995 (Japan launch July 21, 1995; North America August 14, 1995).
Though the hardware had a brief commercial run and was discontinued in 1996, several Virtual Boy games have become notable for collectors and retro enthusiasts.
Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack tier, which launched in October 2021 and bundles additional classic libraries, continues to add legacy titles to its catalog.
What’s included
The five Virtual Boy titles added in this update are:
- V-Tetris
- Jack Bros.
- Space Invaders Virtual Collection
- Virtual Bowling
- Vertical Force
These entries are official Virtual Boy releases and are now listed in the Virtual Boy app for subscribers.
How to play
Nintendo’s announcement notes that an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription is required to access the Virtual Boy library.
Subscribers should download the Virtual Boy app from the Nintendo eShop on their Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 system to install and play the available titles.
Once the app is added, the newly listed games appear in the app’s catalog and can be launched directly from the console.
Developer and platform notes
Most Virtual Boy software was developed or published by Nintendo and partner studios in the mid-1990s; titles such as V-Tetris were Nintendo-licensed adaptations of established franchises for the Virtual Boy hardware.
The Expansion Pack continues Nintendo’s approach of curating retro libraries—alongside offerings like N64 and SEGA Genesis—for its subscription service.
This update represents another incremental expansion of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack’s retro offerings, making five historically significant Virtual Boy titles more accessible to modern players through the Switch family of systems.
Source: Nintendo press release (May 15, 2026).
The release makes these Virtual Boy games available through the Virtual Boy app on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, providing subscribers direct access via the Nintendo eShop.
Background
The Virtual Boy was Nintendo’s 32-bit, red-and-black stereoscopic home console, first released in 1995 (Japan launch July 21, 1995; North America August 14, 1995).
Though the hardware had a brief commercial run and was discontinued in 1996, several Virtual Boy games have become notable for collectors and retro enthusiasts.
Nintendo’s Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack tier, which launched in October 2021 and bundles additional classic libraries, continues to add legacy titles to its catalog.
What’s included
The five Virtual Boy titles added in this update are:
- V-Tetris
- Jack Bros.
- Space Invaders Virtual Collection
- Virtual Bowling
- Vertical Force
These entries are official Virtual Boy releases and are now listed in the Virtual Boy app for subscribers.
How to play
Nintendo’s announcement notes that an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription is required to access the Virtual Boy library.
Subscribers should download the Virtual Boy app from the Nintendo eShop on their Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2 system to install and play the available titles.
Once the app is added, the newly listed games appear in the app’s catalog and can be launched directly from the console.
Developer and platform notes
Most Virtual Boy software was developed or published by Nintendo and partner studios in the mid-1990s; titles such as V-Tetris were Nintendo-licensed adaptations of established franchises for the Virtual Boy hardware.
The Expansion Pack continues Nintendo’s approach of curating retro libraries—alongside offerings like N64 and SEGA Genesis—for its subscription service.
This update represents another incremental expansion of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack’s retro offerings, making five historically significant Virtual Boy titles more accessible to modern players through the Switch family of systems.
Source: Nintendo press release (May 15, 2026).
