Nintendo's Switch Has Been Hiding a Buried 'VR Mode' For Over a Year (arstechnica.com) 38
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Hackers have uncovered and tested a screen-splitting "VR Mode" that has been buried in the Switch's system-level firmware for over a year. The discovery suggests that Nintendo at least toyed with the idea that the tablet system could serve as a stereoscopic display for a virtual reality headset. Switch hackers first discovered and documented references to a "VrMode" in the Switch OS' Applet Manager services back in December when analyzing the June 2017 release of version 3.0.0 of the system's firmware. But the community doesn't seem to have done much testing of the internal functions "IsVrModeEnabled" and "SetVrModeEnabled" at the time. That changed shortly after Switch modder OatmealDome publicly noted one of the VR functions earlier this month, rhetorically asking, "has anyone actually tried calling it?" Fellow hacker random0666 responded with a short Twitter video (and an even shorter followup) showing the results of an extremely simple homebrew testing app that activates the system's VrMode functions.
As you can see in those video links, using those functions to enable the Switch's VR mode splits the screen vertically into two identical half-sized images, in much the way other VR displays split an LCD screen to create a stereoscopic 3D effect. System-level UI elements appear on both sides of the screen when the mode is enabled, and the French text shown in the test can be roughly translated to "Please move the console away from your face and click the close button." The location of the functions in the Switch firmware suggest they're part of Nintendo's own Switch code and not generic functions included in other Nvidia Tegra-based hardware.
As you can see in those video links, using those functions to enable the Switch's VR mode splits the screen vertically into two identical half-sized images, in much the way other VR displays split an LCD screen to create a stereoscopic 3D effect. System-level UI elements appear on both sides of the screen when the mode is enabled, and the French text shown in the test can be roughly translated to "Please move the console away from your face and click the close button." The location of the functions in the Switch firmware suggest they're part of Nintendo's own Switch code and not generic functions included in other Nvidia Tegra-based hardware.
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously. The last time video games were interesting was before and a couple of years after the Nintendo 64 was released.
I enjoyed Doom and Doom2 two and a half decades ago. Skipped Quake. Then got into Diablo2 a decade later. That lasted a couple years. In between, I played Civilization, Sims, and other popular games. I don't play now, but I would say all of those games are decent. And there must be many other great games I don't know about. It would be improper to condemn them because of shallow emotions or just lack of knowledge.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
You should try Doom2 again. Get Zandronum, load up DoomSeeker (included) find a Complex Doom Invasion server, let shit install, and jump in (don't forget to config both normal controls and CDI controls) and relive some awesome fucking times with a few nice updates.
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Re: Who cares? (Score:2)
Look. So edgy.
There are plenty of perfectly fine video games out. Stop trying to play the oldschool cool bullshit.
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I'm sorry the happy person inside you died.
In the meantime I am thorroughly enjoying the variety on the Switch, from the AAA titles, to the extensive independent market right along side the actual nostalgic titles that are available which you yourself seem to claim were interesting.
Simple (Score:2)
Well then just switch it on.
Nintendo did this before everyone else... (Score:4, Insightful)
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Yeah, the Master System had 3D Outrun among others, same with the NES which had 3D World Runner for example.
You're right, the Virtual Boy was stereoscopic 3D with no head tracking.
In the 90s Atari was demonstrating a head tracking stereoscopic headset for the Atari Jaguar at various video store chains but it never made it to market. Disney was also demonstrating goggles at Disney World with SGI and had some Aladdin magic carpet demo in the 90s as well: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=... [youtube.com]
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haxxy haxxy haxx0rz! (Score:1)
BeauHD taking lessons from msmash, still not k-rad.
Not news (Score:1)
no, they haven't been "hiding" it. It was found almost at launch over a year ago. Nintendo even talked about VR as a possability during the NX-face in investor meetings.
It's just code they didn't bother to clean up and remove when they decided to not do VR with the Switch.
Most likely because of the higher resolution and frame rate that would be needed which would have pushed up the price significantly above where they wanted the device to land.
At what refresh rate? (Score:2)
If it's just 60Hz it will not work too well
Save Files? (Score:2)
I sure wish they would discover a hidden save-file-backup mode, or a way to lock access to an account. It takes exactly 5 clicks for my toddler to delete my Zelda save game (home-zelda-dad profile-new game-yes) and as far as I can tell there is zero recourse other than not letting the child ever touch the system.
Th Wii U had a great VR implementation (Score:2)