GeForce 3D Vision

Alexandre Botella
Updated: June 25, 2009

Games in 3D

Given the current limitations of 3D films, gamers are still, for the moment, the main target for this technology. With more than 300 games listed with sufficient comatibility with this technology, you'll find plenty of opportunity to use it. Our tests on games such as Left 4 Dead impressed us greatly. When you first try the glasses on you really feel the magic, total immersion and sensations all together. After a period of time in the clouds, you inevitably notice the little faults such as the fact that the viewfinder is not always in 3D or the fact that the 3D effect is not in full depth or that some of the decor remains in 2D. This takes away some of the pleasure but you'll still have a really good time with the glasses. Especially as all the teething problems should disappear with the next gen games; the next BurnOut for example should be entirely compatible with 3D. Others such as World of Warcraft are planning to release patches online to improve 3D rendering. If you discover that your favourite game is not on the list, don't despair. We have tested games such as Civilisation IV which do not feature on the list but for which the glasses still work. We did however wake up to something during this experience; 3D is not always an improvement. In 'Civilisation', immersion in the game did not improve sensations.

Everything if not elegant, we will nevertheless soon be seeing these glasses beside the computer of any gamer (and maybe their television as well). We're all going to have to get used to them, and even maybe wear them! Here in editorial even non gamers took pleasure in using them to enter a 3D world. They are linked up to a very discrete command box via infra-red and the box is linked to your computer by USB. They're very easy to recharge. You just unplug the command box and plug in the glasses.

The glasses are worn over your spectacles

What you'll need

As the glasses are only one of the elements in the 3D chain, you'll need a screen, television or video projector which, like the SyncMaster 2233rz, is compatible (see list below) but also has a sufficiently powerful graphics card to support the 40% increased activity that 3D demands. According to NVIDIA, the minimum you'll need for gameplay is a 9600 GT. Those who have kept their CRT screen will be delighted to hear that it can be used as a 3D monitor as long as it is at 100 Hz.

Installation

Installation is fairly simple. It's not yet Plug and Play, but the drivers are relatively easy to install. Start by inserting the CD which comes with your glasses into your PC. Next, if you haven't updated your graphics card drivers recently, click on the button corresponding to updates. Otherwise just install the GeForce 3D software directly. Then follow all the instructions in the application set-up wizard. This also serves as a very good guide to plugging in the different parts of the kit. If you happen to lose the CD with the drivers, you can always download it on NVIDIA's site.

How it works

It's easy to understand how the glasses work. In fact, they use the same method as your own eyes. Look at an object on your desk and close one eye, then open it and close the other. You will no doubt have noticed that the two views of the object that you have seen are not exactly identical. Well the graphics card also sends two images that simulate what each of your eyes sees on either side. The glasses then come into play, the lenses which are LCD screens obstruct one at a time one of your eyes. Your brain then mixes the two images as it did for the object on your desk and gives you a 3D rendering.

The box that comes with the glasses is not simply an infra-red relay. There's a scroll at the back that allows you to modify the spacing of the images. This means you can set the 3D so that it is adapted to your eyes.

3D films:

Video flow of two images

Assembled by Stereoscopic 3D Video Player to give a 3D image

NVIDIA also sells a Stereoscopic 3D Video Player, a video player that plays videos in 3D - you can find demo videos on NVIDIA's site. The reader does have its limits however. You won't for example be able to get 3D from your DVD collection. NVIDIA says that they are working on a player that will. For now only files with the two images in their video flow can give 3D and the results are quite promising. According to NVIDIA, Blu-ray 3D should see the light of day, although no date has been given for its release yet. Watching a film in 3D is not necessarily something you want to do on your own. The signal can be relayed to several pairs of glasses at the same time so that you can watch films with other people. We're all looking forward to 3D nights in our living rooms!

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