Nintendo Switch VR Adaptor (Customizable)

thingiverse

Human: As you probably noticed from the title, this is another attempt to mount a Nintendo Switch onto your head, but in a professional-looking way without wasting a ton of money. The total costs for this headset project are below 5 euros and include printing and plastic costs. Yes! You don't need the original Nintendo Labo VR set for this to be useful. In fact, you don't even need any game for this. Just download the YouTube App and search for "3D" and/or "SBS." SBS stands for "Side by Side," which is a technique used in video production where two images are displayed side-by-side to create a 3D effect. If you watch those videos with a normal player, it looks like you see the same image twice. One on the left and one on the right. Those are the images used for each eye. All that Google is doing is splitting the image in between, so each eye only sees one image and you get a 3D view. Games with Labo-VR support (besides Labo itself, of course) include "Mario Odyssey," "Zelda," "Captain Toad - Treasure Tracker." There are also some third-party games supporting this, such as "Spice and Wolf VR" and "Thumper." I used the "VR Box" headset, which is sold on dollar stores and costs about 1-3 euros. I got it from a Netherlands shop chain called "Action" here in Germany. All that's required is to remove everything from the front of the VR Box, which usually takes a mobile phone as the device of choice. However, the universal adaptor used is not universal enough, as the Switch doesn't fit. So unplug and unscrew everything. It's a good idea to remove the rubber headband for the time being so it can't get damaged or take glue while dangling around. You'll notice that on one side there's a cooling grid rising from the goggles. This needs to be trimmed off, as we need space to fit the Nintendo Switch centered. Don't worry; the console will get its cooling from the back and top, as the mount has matching openings for the air vents. The clippers delivered with 3D printers will do fine. The plastic is very DIY-friendly and doesn't split or crack. It just breaks where it gets actively cut. Once done, get a sheet of sandpaper and rub the entire thing over a few times to get it more or less even and smooth. It's not possible to get it straight all the way, but that's not recommended as the top head strap mount is quite next to the edge and would get weakened. Just take a look at the images to see how mine looks. The edge will mostly be covered by the new adaptor, so it doesn't matter anyway. Give the 3D printed adaptor a good clean and remove any loose 3D print hairs. It's also a good idea to sand the inside of the Switch mount to prevent the switch from getting scratched by leftover support pillars. I designed the adaptor to fit my Switch, which has a protective glass cover and a metal plate on the back for magnetic mounting a cover/stand. In total, it's just about 0.8 mm. The metal plate is the reason why you can't see the back of my Nintendo Switch in the photos. If your switch feels loose, then change the thickness using FreeCAD or just tape some foam into the adaptor. The VR Box comes with pads that may fit your need here. Even if my model provides screw holes and additional holes to fit the screwdriver through, I don't recommend using them. The pillars the screws were originally drilled in are most likely already split at the top due to the weak plastic. You don't want your trusty Nintendo Switch's life relying on that crap. Make sure the adaptor is the right way up and glue it in. The single hole in the switch mount is for the USB. That's the bottom side, and must be on the same side as the nose pocket of your goggles. The two long slots are power and volume buttons, headphone and vent openings. I used plastic instant glue on the pillars and the holes in the adaptor. You may use hot glue, but I recommend a real glue. The headset is so cheap that if something breaks or you want to try a new revision, just buy a new one. Don't risk your Nintendo Switch without a proper reason. I added the FreeCAD V0.19 source file, so anyone can adapt the mount without any hassle. Make sure you don't use a FreeCAD version lower than 0.19, or the file may break during edit or loading. This project may get an update or two in the future until I am totally pleased with it. That's why I marked it as in progress.