‘Not the right fit for Mario’: Miyamoto continues Nintendo’s anti-VR stance

Shigeru Miyamoto has said we shouldn’t expect to see a VR Mario title any time soon.

In an interview with USA Today, the long-serving Nintendo designer said the technology ‘wasn’t quite the right fit’ for the platform holder’s flagship franchise, primarily because it isolates players.

Miyamoto recently took to the stage during Apple’s iPhone 7 event to announce a Super Mario game for mobile – something else the company has said was unlikely to happen.

"I would agree that adapting Mario to new platforms is a key to keeping him relevant," he said. "But we want families to play together, and virtual reality – which requires players to be closed off from the real world – doesn’t really fit well there. We also like people playing for a long time, and it’s hard to do that in VR."

Miyamoto’s comments echo those of Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who said virtual reality wasn’t social or fun enough for Nintendo to invest time in.

Reports have since suggested that Nintendo is looking into the possibilities of virtual reality, and that it may have delayed its upcoming console, codenamed NX, in order to introduce VR. However, sources have since confirmed NX will be a console-handheld hybrid, with the official reveal expected within the next month or so.