A few weeks ago, I bought an XPS 17. Since adding a 3D screen was a nominal cost given all the coupons floating around, I decided to add it, not really expecting much. I played it over the weekend and was pleasantly surprised with how great it was, even with just a mid-range mobile part.
So couple days ago I bought the 27" Acer 3D monitor and paired it with a new GTX 580 to give this a proper go in a desktop environment.
The overall effect is simply amazing. Whereas most 3D movies rely on gimmicks and pop-out tricks, 3DVision renders games with depth as well as extrusion, if you're willing to tweak the settings. So while there are a few impressive moments, the best thing is the subtle, accumulative impact of having objects "look" more like they do in the real world - i.e., appearing relative to everything else.
Games I tried: L4D2, Just Cause 2, Trine, Bad Company 2, Starcraft 2, Portal 2. Portal 2 was the one game that was annoying to play on this monitor in 3D due to crosstalk (doubling of image), but everything else was very playable and pleasant to look at. You could reduce contrast and maybe frequency to further reduce crosstalk, but it was already minor to irrelevant, especially once you calibrated depth and convergence.
It's pretty difficult to put the experience into words without resorting to superlatives. Trine, which already looks great, felt magical. Just Cause 2, another looker, just blew my mind whether I opted for a depth-heavy or convergence (pop-out)-heavy setting. Bad Company 2 was more visceral and exciting. Starcraft 2 was nice with the extra depth, but it's all the nice touches with smoke and particle effect that I really appreciated.
To be clear, this tech just doesn't work for some people because some eyes are more prone to fatigue or seeing flicker; not sure what specifically about one's eyes makes that happen. I started out with a depth setting of 30 to 40% but I was fine with near 100% after a few days, and then I opted for a mix of depth and convergence. No headaches or dizziness. The glasses are light and unobtrusive, though you can't wear them *and* have studio-style headphones sitting properly on your ears, which is a little annoying.
Personally though, it's a revelation in gaming. Much more immersive than my other immersive gaming experiences: Surround/Eyefinity monitors, a 30" monitor, or a 54" TV.
So couple days ago I bought the 27" Acer 3D monitor and paired it with a new GTX 580 to give this a proper go in a desktop environment.
The overall effect is simply amazing. Whereas most 3D movies rely on gimmicks and pop-out tricks, 3DVision renders games with depth as well as extrusion, if you're willing to tweak the settings. So while there are a few impressive moments, the best thing is the subtle, accumulative impact of having objects "look" more like they do in the real world - i.e., appearing relative to everything else.
Games I tried: L4D2, Just Cause 2, Trine, Bad Company 2, Starcraft 2, Portal 2. Portal 2 was the one game that was annoying to play on this monitor in 3D due to crosstalk (doubling of image), but everything else was very playable and pleasant to look at. You could reduce contrast and maybe frequency to further reduce crosstalk, but it was already minor to irrelevant, especially once you calibrated depth and convergence.
It's pretty difficult to put the experience into words without resorting to superlatives. Trine, which already looks great, felt magical. Just Cause 2, another looker, just blew my mind whether I opted for a depth-heavy or convergence (pop-out)-heavy setting. Bad Company 2 was more visceral and exciting. Starcraft 2 was nice with the extra depth, but it's all the nice touches with smoke and particle effect that I really appreciated.
To be clear, this tech just doesn't work for some people because some eyes are more prone to fatigue or seeing flicker; not sure what specifically about one's eyes makes that happen. I started out with a depth setting of 30 to 40% but I was fine with near 100% after a few days, and then I opted for a mix of depth and convergence. No headaches or dizziness. The glasses are light and unobtrusive, though you can't wear them *and* have studio-style headphones sitting properly on your ears, which is a little annoying.
Personally though, it's a revelation in gaming. Much more immersive than my other immersive gaming experiences: Surround/Eyefinity monitors, a 30" monitor, or a 54" TV.