Nintendo Switch 2 Getting 14 Free Games We Definitely Never Asked For

Nintendo Switch is getting 14 free games that we definitely did not ask for.

When Nintendo Switch Online launched in 2018, it began rolling out retro Nintendo games of yesteryear from the likes of the NES, SNES and Game Boy. The paid service also granted access to online multiplayer, which was originally free for a period of time.

In 2021, the Expansion Pass tier arrived, bringing plenty of further retro goodness from the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube, as well as expansions for select games and Switch 2 upgrades for the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Last week, the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service expanded again, this time bringing a total of 14 games from the Nintendo Virtual Boy, a system considered by many to be the worst Nintendo has ever released.

Launched in 1995, a 32-bit system with capabilities of rendering stereoscopic 3D graphics, the Virtual Boy was kind of like virtual reality, which, in theory, should have been great.

However, the unit was incredibly clunky, and the games sucked, big time. It was also credited for giving gamers severe headaches.

The Virtual Boy was discontinued in 1996 with only 22 games released on the system. Arguably, the only other Nintendo product to be worse than the Virtual Boy is the Power Glove for the NES.

To play the Virtual Boy games, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will have to purchase a unit that replicates the original experience, with the Switch or Switch 2 being inserted into the headset. There is also a cheaper cardboard version to pick up.

So, god knows why Nintendo decided to include Virtual Boy games as an incentive to subscribe to Switch Online. I would assume that it's a combination of selling nostalgia and running out of console generations to offer on the service.

“Hot take: I didn't want to play Virtual Boy games in 1995. I don't want to play them in 2025,” tweeted Stealth40k.

“Especially not for a $100 required accessory (including the $25 cardboard),” replied MazzoraGames.

“This is not a hot take… This is exactly how I feel. I did not play Virtual Boy, and I have no desire to play it in 2025. I have no nostalgia whatsoever for it,” exclaimed DarkBlueYoshi45.

“I’m still wondering who told Nintendo enough that people want Virtual Boy games on the Switch, did they not know how many people don’t like/hate that product?” quizzed the_at97.

When the Virtual Boy games land on the Nintendo Switch Online subscription service on 17 February 2026, I have no doubts there will be some curiosity, and it will garner some interest. But when the novelty wears off and the headaches kick in, many will realise why this thing is an abomination.