The Terrible Nintendo Controller That Helped Make VR Happen
How the flawed Nintendo Power Glove became an unlikely pioneer of modern virtual reality tech.
Matilda
The Terrible Nintendo Controller That Helped Make VR Happen
Power Glove: The Terrible Nintendo Controller That Paved the Way for VR What was the Nintendo Power Glove, and why does it matter in 2025? Despite being widely panned as one of the worst gaming peripherals ever made, this late-1980s oddity laid surprising groundwork for today’s virtual reality systems. While it failed as a practical controller, its ambition to merge physical movement with digital interaction sparked a vision that tech giants are still chasing—proving that even “bad” tech can drive real innovation. Credit: Google A Product Born from Lab Curiosity, Not Boardroom Strategy The Power Glove wasn’t originally a Nintendo creation. It began as a research prototype called the “Manimal” at VPL Research, a company co-founded by VR pioneer Jaron Lanier. Engineers were exploring how wearable tech could translate hand motions into computer input. When toy company Abrams Gentile Entertainment saw its potential, they licensed the tech, rebranded it, and—after a high-stakes pitch—convinced…
