3D Gaming On PCs Is Looking Bigger And Brighter (Literally)

I would be lying if I said I was going to rush out to buy a new PC and 3D monitor so I can stab zombies in the brain in 3D, but I can honestly tell you NVIDIA’s 3D Vision 2 is much better than the original.

Nvidia’s second jab at 3D gaming on the PC fixes a lot of the problems with the original: The images are twice as bright, thanks to a tech NVIDIA’s calling LightBoost, which essentially lets more light through the lenses at a time (3D tends to be dim, as you might’ve noticed at the movies). The new flagship 3D Vision monitor is a 27-inch, 1920×1080 LED display from ASUS, up from last year’s 24-inch screens. (You will pay for that extra real estate though: With a pair of the new glasses, the monitor’s $US700.) The new glasses have 20 per cent larger lenses to boot, but are cheaper than before, at $US100. I think they’re slightly less comfortable than the originals, but they totally look less dorky.

The proof is in the pixels, though, and the handful of games I played through, like Batman’s latest, Arkham City were definitely way more engaging with 3D Vision 2, as I could actually, like, see things.

I’m still not entirely sold on 3D gaming — I haven’t really played anything in 3D that has shaken me to the very core of my being — but if progress can be made along the lines that NVIDIA’s made here at short, regular intervals, that may increasingly be a question about content rather than technology. Expect more soon, either from us or the guys at Kotaku. All the new gear goes on sale later this month.

[NVIDIA]