Nintendo’s 1995 console that used a monochrome stereoscopic display for a virtual-reality effect was the Virtual Boy.
Nintendo released the Virtual Boy in Japan and North America in 1995. Designed by Gunpei Yokoi, it used red LED displays and mirrors to create a separate image for each eye, producing a stereoscopic effect. The system was positioned on a stand rather than worn like a modern headset.
Its library included games such as Mario’s Tennis and Wario Land. The red-and-black presentation, lack of color and uncomfortable posture limited its appeal, and Nintendo discontinued the system in 1996.
The Virtual Boy is often confused with Nintendo’s successful handheld Game Boy line. Unlike the Game Boy, it was designed around binocular depth and stationary viewing. It remains notable as one of the earliest consumer products to market itself explicitly around a VR-like experience.