Nintendo has confirmed that the Virtual Boy library scheduled to arrive on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack next month will receive a new display option later in the year that allows the console's characteristic red screen to be changed.

The Virtual Boy collection, due to arrive for Expansion Pack subscribers in February 2026, preserves the original monochrome red presentation used by the 1995 system. During a recent update, Nintendo said an additional palette or screen‑colour option will be added "later this year," giving players the option to remove or alter the red tint that defined the original hardware.

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The Virtual Boy was notable for its distinctive red display, a limitation of its hardware that contributed to its reputation and eventual commercial failure. The planned Switch Online option does not alter the original game code but provides an alternative viewing mode within the emulator environment on Switch, according to Nintendo's announcement.

The Expansion Pack tier of Nintendo Switch Online will host the Virtual Boy library from February 2026 for subscribers who have access to the additional content. Further details on which titles will be included and the precise timing of the colour‑change feature were not specified beyond the broad "later this year" window.

Nintendo's move will allow players who found the original red presentation uncomfortable to experience the titles with a different visual palette while preserving the games for historical and retro play on the Switch platform.