Nintendo wants to know if longer VR play sessions are feasible

Shigeru Miyamoto claims Nintendo is researching the main drawbacks of virtual reality technology.

Nintendo wants to know if longer VR play sessions are feasible

Virtual reality headsets are widely touted as the next major shift in gaming, but that doesn't mean we're quite there yet. All the same, major publishers are considering how VR can be improved - including Nintendo, who so far has been fairly quiet on the virtual reality front.

The information came from none other than Shigeru Miyamoto himself, . His key concerns were addressing long gaming sessions, making games interesting for non-playing spectators, and ensuring parents feel comfortable letting their children wear VR headsets - a major problem the last time Nintendo experimented with the tech.

"We are continuing our research, and looking into development with a mind to how our current core products are meant to be played for a relatively long period of time," Miyamoto said. "We are looking into the possibilities of providing an experience that gives value when played for a short time, and how to eliminate the concerns of long-duration use.

"We are also looking into how to make sure that a parent doesn't need to worry when their child puts on a VR device in their living room. At this year's E3, I was on the show floor, and it did not feel like VR was that big of a topic. This could be because VR is not that much to look at for the spectator, even while it might be highly appreciated for the person actually experiencing it. It might also not be clear how the experience can be made into a product."

Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima added that while virtual reality has issue, the company is researching how to address them, even if the company is staying out of the VR field for now. "We continue to be interested [in VR] and we are continuing our research," he explained. "We are well aware that other companies are developing games and game-related products using VR technologies, and that consumers are interested in all of this. I cannot say anything specific at this time, but understand that we also consider VR to be a promising technology, and we are conducting research with much interest."