The iconic red and yellow Happy Meal box is getting a 21st century retrofit, as McDonald's is selling limited edition boxes that can fold into virtual reality headsets.
The special boxes are being issued to mark the 30th anniversary of the Happy Meal in Sweden. As a result, only select McDonald’s restaurants in Sweden will be selling the boxes for now (sorry, rest of the world).
To accompany the goggles, McDonald's is launching a special VR skiing game, called "Slope Stars," which will be available to download off the McDonald’s Sweden website starting on March 4.
The company says the game offers players a 360-degree ski experience, while teaching them how to stay safe on the slopes.
McDonald's posted a video online, showing how with a few tears and folds, and the addition of a smartphone, children can transform the familiar Happy Meal box into the VR headset.
The goggles are a bid to modernize the popular Happy Meal, and provide a digital experience for children, the company said.
"New generations are growing up in a world where smartphones and tablets are part of our ordinary life," McDonald's said in a statement. "The VR goggles open the door to virtual worlds, which of course is very exciting."
The company suggested the goggles might also be a way for children to bond with adults, who will undoubtedly be interested by the Happy Goggles.
"It creates an opportunity for adults to learn from the children's knowledge and experience," the company said.
Reaction to the goggles was mixed on the company's Facebook page.
Some said that the company should offer the goggles in other countries, while others joked that the special boxes still wouldn't be enough of an incentive for them to eat the fast food.
"America needs this now," one user commented.
Another said: "Cool toys in Sweden!!"
Others were less complimentary.
"Can the VR headset be used to simulate eating food that is actually edible someplace else?" one person commented.
Another wrote: "When I read this I thought maybe the kids look at the junk they are eating, and through this thing it looks like roast beef and veg."
