Konami will continue to develop virtual reality Yu-Gi-Oh experiences following a successful debut of the technology at its 25th anniversary event in Tokyo, Japan.
Fans flocked to the Tokyo Dome stadium to celebrate the card game and there had the opportunity to sample what most ’90s kids have dreamed of: proper VR Yu-Gi-Oh to emulate the once fantastical technology on show in the original anime.
The experience didn’t offer the full Yu-Gi-Oh experience but instead combined VR with the Yu-Gi-Oh: Dual Links mobile and PC game, which offers a simplified version of the card battler. Regardless, fans were still able to enter a virtual arena and battle with the likes of Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
The proof of concept was deemed a success by Konami, who announced later it “will continue to develop Yu-Gi-Oh games with VR and various other technologies”. Whether or not this means fans should expect a full VR game for the likes of Meta Quest 3 or PlayStation VR2 remains to be seen, but it certainly bodes well for those who’ve dreamed of the experience for the last 25 years.
As reported by Geek Culture, Duel Links game producer Akitsu Terashima said “it’d be nice to have [the VR experience] as a frontier project, because the manga and anime already have scenes that somewhat simulate [what goes beyond] the physical”. These scenes saw the likes of Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba stand over a huge field that brought their cards to life as they battled.
Konami already has a fully-fledged Yu-Gi-Oh video game it could perhaps base a bigger VR game on. Yu-Gi-Oh: Master Duel is as extensive simulation of the real card game that’s already on every platform, including PlayStation 5, mobile, and PC.
Elements of the original Yu-Gi-Oh anime have been brought to life elsewhere too, as a classic card only ever seen in the first few episodes is being printed for the first time. Yu-Gi-Oh is as popular as ever more than 20 years later, with fans continuing to play in person and digitally in one of the many games.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Maria Malik is your guide to the immersive world of Virtual Reality (VR). With a passion for VR technology, she explores the latest VR headsets, applications, and experiences, providing readers with in-depth reviews, industry insights, and a glimpse into the future of virtual experiences.
