Playing Super Mario 64 In VR On A Physical Nintendo 64 Is Now Possible, But Due To The Low Frame Rate, Users May Experience Significant Motion Sickness

A developer named James Lambert has successfully created a VR version of Super Mario 64 that can run on the original Nintendo 64 console.

By attaching an Oculus Rift development kit to the console using a custom USB adapter, Lambert was able to run a VR-enabled romhack of the classic game. The hack splits the typical Mario 64 camera view into slightly offset positions to mimic the distance between the player’s eyes and create a perception of depth. While the VR experience “works far better than expected,” there are some glitches and frame rate issues, especially in more challenging levels. Lambert noted experiencing motion sickness during testing due to poor head tracking and frame rates.

Despite these challenges, the romhack is available for download on GitHub for those interested in trying it out. The development showcases the innovative ways developers are pushing the limits of aging video game hardware to bring classic games into the modern VR era.