bit-tech.net

Nvidia to provide 3D glasses for all

Published on 1st June 2009 by Tim Smalley

Nvidia will bundle some cheap 3D glasses with all of its GeForce graphics cards so that gamers can experience 3D gaming.

COMPUTEX 2009: Nvidia rather covertly announced that it was to bundle 3D glasses with all of its GeForce graphics cards during its press conference this afternoon.

The idea is that Nvidia wants to show off its 3D Vision technology, but the barrier of entry is currently too high as you need to not only purchase the active 3D Glasses, but you also need a compatible 120Hz monitor.

The bundle will currently set you back around £400, which is a lot for a fairly unproven technology and it doesn’t satisfy those with a penchant for higher resolution screens.

In order to combat this, Nvidia will bundle some cardboard 3D glasses which it says use an Nvidia-designed colour palette that comes from “years of experience in the world of 3D graphics,” said Nvidia CEO Jen-Hsun Huang. The great thing about these glasses is that they work on any monitor.

Huang demoed the glasses on stage, looking like a complete plonker in the process, before we quickly turned the camera on ourselves. Oh my, what a sight.

The experience wasn’t as good as the one we’ve had with the active 3D glasses, but it’s not a bad experience for free and it’ll serve its purpose as an advert for the £400 3D bundle. Whether or not that will translate into sales is another thing altogether, though.

Discuss in the forums.

25 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

Angleus 1st June 2009, 12:10

Oh dear god

DAVEtheRAVE 1st June 2009, 12:24

What is the point?
I highly doubt that sales will improve. Anyway how many games are actually compatible with them? Isn't that a slightly bigger boundary than the actual technology?

Sir Digby 1st June 2009, 12:32

Ah, I've been wanting to try 3d for a while even if it is just a novelty - but the red/blue glasses are really hard to find...

Fod 1st June 2009, 12:34

no no no no no!
whyyyyy!?
anaglyph stereo (that's red/blue 3D for you and me) really really needs to die. UGH!!

,.... also: 'nvidia designed colour palette?'

the technology needs chromatically opposite colours. that's not a design choice - it's a bloody requirement.

Paradigm Shifter 1st June 2009, 12:42

I'm with Fod. No, just... no.

Terrible idea.

I can't have been more than 10 the last time I used 3D glasses like these - I don't fancy looking at the world solely in red/blue colours again.

Omnituens 1st June 2009, 13:53

OLD SKOOL COOL!

Gimme!

perplekks45 1st June 2009, 13:59

:(

or

:)

I'm not sure yet. Yes, it's oldschool but do I really want those "glasses" back? And please tell me you can wear them OVER your own glasses at least.

zimbloggy 1st June 2009, 14:07

will we who already have nvidia cards be able to get the red-blue 3d for our games?

azrael- 1st June 2009, 14:07

I thought we were way past 1 April. Apparently I thought wrong...

Sir Digby 1st June 2009, 14:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by zimbloggy
will we who already have nvidia cards be able to get the red-blue 3d for our games?

This drivers to allow red-blue glasses to work are already out and have been for a while.

Javerh 1st June 2009, 14:53

I have a pair of red-green glasses! Will they also work? Or is Nvidia's innovative palette system at work here?

Evildead666 1st June 2009, 15:00

Wow. Talk about flashback to early 80's comics and "brand new story IN 3D!!!!!!" lol
Good old Eagle and 2000AD.....

feathers 1st June 2009, 15:32

All 3d games are compatible. Nvidia have had stereo 3d drivers for many years. I have several pairs of liquid crystal shutter glasses that work with Nvidia stereo drivers and any game. This is really just a re-launch of a system that's been around for many years.

I say that any game will work with 3d on an Nvidia GPU with stereo drivers but there are a few problems with first person shooters. Generally the gun aim site on an FPS game isn't rendered in 3d. It's done in 2d which basically means that although the game world renders perfectly in 3d, the gun site is 2d and useless for aiming. Nvidia often release stereo 3d driver updates for this to make FPS games compatible.

Any game that doesn't rely on a gun sight will play fine and those that do have a sight are ok when nvidia add them to the list with a driver update.

I used to play Doom 3 and serious sam and many others in stereo 3d with LCS glasses.

Games are great in 3d. Objects can come out of the screen and it makes games feel more realistic.

sub routine 1st June 2009, 17:37

erm...yeah. That appears to be a really good idea????WTF????lol

HourBeforeDawn 1st June 2009, 19:09

Like PhysX, the 3d tech that nVidia bought out is old and failing and is heading the opposite direction that the rest of the market is heading and was just yet another bad investment and waste of money on their part... oh well...

iggy 1st June 2009, 22:57

http://images.bit-tech.net/news_images/2009/06/nvidia-to-provide-3d-glasses-for-all/article_img.jpg

didnt know kim jong il worked for nvidia?

The_Beast 1st June 2009, 23:32

^^^ he's way too good looking to be Kim Jong Il

Who is going to wear glasses that make you look like you have the IQ of a 5 year old or what if you have glasses, are they going to make them big en enough to fit over them

HourBeforeDawn 1st June 2009, 23:44

3d glasses tend to not work for people who wear glasses as they can only really work well if both eyes have the same vision, if one eye is stronger then the other it throws off the illusion of being in 3d... ya I know it sucks ~_~ thats why I have high hopes for those 3d monitors as it fixes that issue for people who dont have same vision in both eyes as no glasses are needed. :)

Grizby 2nd June 2009, 01:12

I think it's pretty awesome, as long as they're not jacking up the prices of their video cards. Other than that, I don't know why the majority of the posts so far think that it's a stupid idea. It's a novelty, and it's fun... and occasionally it gives you a headache if you play the games in 3D for too long.

Before you all further bash nvidia, go try it out for yourself first :P
http://www.nvidia.com/object/GeForce_3D_Vision_3D_Games.html

I've tried it out on L4D and Team Fortress 2, and it's great fun.
http://gamerslastwill.com/2009/02/02/3d-left-4-dead-for-free-oh-yeah-heres-how/

Blue/red and blue/yellow 3D both work really well, even if you wear glasses (First hand experience with someone who has really messed up eyes).

wuyanxu 2nd June 2009, 09:17

i have bought one of those £1 3D glasses with exact colouring as the one shown in the picture.

it doesn't work! enabled 3D via the gameslave link above. all i see are blurs in games with half my original FPS.

azrael- 2nd June 2009, 10:39

You sound so surprised... :)

mooseguy 2nd June 2009, 17:05

AAAAAGH

Still though, nice. Their whole 3D thing is quite enticing... Shame I'm stuck with an ATI card and I can't really justify replacing it.

Nathan@Nanopoint 2nd June 2009, 17:09

Nice shades >.<!

SMIFFYDUDE 2nd June 2009, 22:22

Has anyone here who wears glasses ever tried sticking red and green Quality Street wrappers to their lenses. I haven't ;-p

OPTICAL10 3rd June 2009, 23:27

NVIDIA have been supporting PC 3-D in gamers in their drivers for over 10 years on and off. You will be surprised to know that there are a high percentage of PC games past and present that are compatible with this older anaglyph technology. As the article mentioned this promotion is a win-win method of zero cost so you can appreciate your back and present catalogue of PC games in a more immersive 3-D environment. Once you've tried it, believe you me you will see what all the fuss is about.

For the full present overview of the stereo 3-D gaming and multimedia push into gaming, theatre and living roomto this website, http://www.mtbs3d.com which stands for "meant to be seen 3d".