About: You’re probably heard of the giant multinational toy and board game company Hasbro, but you might not have heard anything about their first and only foray into virtual reality: the Hasbro VR Toaster. Hasbro was created in 1924 by the three Hassenfeld brothers. They started out in the textile industry, but it wasn’t long before they switched to the toy industry and rose to the top. However, following the enormous success of the Atari 2600 and its cartridge based system, Hasbro sought the possibility to enter the now-booming video game market.
The acquisition of Milton Bradley (the company responsible for the VecTrex) in 1984 was an early step in that direction. Hasbro began to plan the development of a new gaming console, and two different projects were conceived: Control-Vision (a VHS console originally known as Project NEMO) and Toaster VR. “Scene of the Crime”, a prototype that later became Night Trap, was originally in development for the Control Vision. There’s a video hidden within the Sega CD version of Night Trap that shows Hasbro executives demonstrating the “NEMO”.
Hasbro Toaster Specs and Info…
Device: Hasbro Toaster, (X-Scape), (Project NEMO)
Manufacturer: Hasbro, Inc
Announced Date: March 1992
Release Date: Never Released
Launch Price: Unknown
Device Type: VR Headset (Console Powered)
Display: Unknown
Diagonal Field of View(FOV): Unknown
Refresh Rate: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
CPU: N/A
GPU: N/A
Battery: N/A
Tracking: Unknown
Controllers: Unknown
Our Thoughts: Don’t think for a moment you are getting any real toast from this toaster! This is Hasbro’s Toaster video games console that was going to be released with VR headset! Very little is known about this all-in-one VR console other than a very cryptic patent created by a guy called Steve E. Tice of QuantumWorks Corporation. He patented the console design then assigned it to Hasbro.
QuantumWorks Corporation was under contract to Hasbro Toys when this odd looking VR headset was co-designed and co-led the development of the first new generation VR helmet and console. It was a 3D console that had several potential product names. The TOASTER, X-Scape and RUSH were all going to be potential names for it. But the Toaster part seems to have stuck around. The pictures you see are in fact not a real console at all, but a foam mockup of it! Sadly it never got picked up which at the time was probably best.
Sources used…
- https://www.unseen64.net/2018/10/04/hasbro-toaster-virtual-reality-console/