Those crazy modders have done it again: you can now pair an original Virtual Boy controller to a Switch 2 and actually use it wirelessly with Nintendo’s new Virtual Boy NSO app. Hardware tinkerer RetroOnyx has designed a drop‑in PCB that replaces the guts of the OG pad with a Bluetooth‑enabled board, turning the famously weird dual‑D‑pad controller into a modern wireless gamepad that talks to Switch, PC, and even Meta Quest.
The mod keeps the original shell and layout but swaps everything inside: new PCB, Bluetooth radio, USB‑C charging, and haptics support that could, in theory, be used by Nintendo’s Virtual Boy app if they ever decide to flip that switch. Right now, the board itself is $99, the same price as Nintendo’s official Virtual Boy headset accessory, and you still have to provide your own controller and battery, but RetroOnyx is also gauging interest in fully built units with 3D‑printed shells and third‑party buttons for anyone who doesn’t want to tear apart a real ’90s pad.
This all exists because Nintendo, in classic Nintendo fashion, brought back the Virtual Boy with a pretty faithful headset, and then shipped absolutely nothing resembling a matching controller (especially crazy considering they’ve done it with other NSO consoles). Yes, you can get by with a Switch Online N64 pad or a regular Pro Controller, but nothing quite nails the twin D‑pad feel the original hardware offered, especially for stuff like Virtual Boy Wario Land or Teleroboxer. Once again, modders are the ones bridging the gap between nostalgia accessory and actual usable setup, while Nintendo sells you the official red headache machine and calls it a day.
All that said, projects like this have a history of nudging Nintendo; we’ve already seen wireless N64 and GameCube‑style Switch controllers materialize after years of DIY solutions. If the Virtual Boy NSO experiment sticks around and people keep posting clips of this thing, a first‑party “Virtual Boy Classic Controller” suddenly doesn’t feel impossible, just probably overpriced.
Source: YouTube via GamesRadar+
