The Future of Stereo 3D Part I: Nvidia Geforce 3D Vision

The Future of Nvidia’s GeForce 3D Vision

So where do we go from here and is there even a future for Nvidia’s GeForce 3D Vision? The short answer is yes, there is a bright future for this technology but only if Nvidia wants there to be. There are no two ways about it; if 3D Vision ever hopes to break out of the niche market it is currently in and make its way into the arms of the unwashed masses, Nvidia MUST continue to support it. Without constant driver updates to support the newest games, it will be forgotten in no time.

On the flip side of the coin, Nvidia has shown every indication that they can take the challenge of integrating a new technology into their lineup without missing a beat. The driver updates have been taking place regularly, their knowledge base is expanding and the number of supported games is increasing with every new revision. They are also aggressively marketing 3D Vision at LAN parties, industry events and even at some brick and mortar stores. It really does seem like Nvidia is hell-bent on getting the ball rolling and that can only be taken as a good thing for early adopters.

It is also extremely important for game developers to be on board as well since without their support, Nvidia will be relegated to using band aid solutions to force stereo 3D in games. Here too Nvidia seems to have the ball rolling quite nicely since their The Way It’s Meant To Be Played program has made sure that developers are actively using 3D Vision hardware. The results of this can already be seen with Blizzard’s release of a patch for their insanely popular World of Warcraft that includes the graphical tweaks necessary for some out-of-screen effects when using 3D Vision. I am sure that there will be additional announcements like Blizzard’s in the near future so stay tuned.

If Nvidia succeeds in continuously evolving this platform over the next few years, then I can in all honesty say that it has the potential to forever change the way we all look at PC gaming. After watching people’s comically giddy reactions to 3D Vision at CES, it is obvious that it struck a cord with gamers and journalists alike. We are all used to the usual naysayer mentality that told us the PC gaming industry was dying a slow death and needed a serious shot of adrenaline. Well, 3D Vision seems to have done just that but it is now up to Nvidia to ride the wave of publicity and sell enough kits to get the price down to an amount were everyday gamers will be able to snatch it up.

However, the PC gaming industry is just the tip of a very large iceberg since it isn’t hard to see the possibility of using 3D Vision within professional fields as well. Considering Nvidia’s newfound focus on the medical imaging field through CUDA applications, I can see 3D Vision playing an integral part in their expansion into 3D CT scanning systems and many other areas. On the more personal side of things, coming from an architectural background I can see this technology making its way into everything from AutoCAD to virtual walkthough software. Trust me; there is nothing I would like more than to give a client the opportunity to see a flythrough of a proposed project in full stereoscopic 3D. If Nvidia gets this system working with their Quadro cards and drivers, that may be a possibility in the near future.

Let me tell you, there is a laundry list of things Nvidia needs to do right in order to make GeForce 3D Vision a success but the most important aspect will be proper integration through manufacturer support. As it stands, there is a grand total of two 120Hz LCD monitors, a few DLP TVs and a lone projector which are compatible with Nvidia’s solution. To sustain any kind of growth for this product, that list has to expand by leaps and bounds in the coming years. We need to see pure 120Hz monitors and televisions make a larger break into the market in order to drive costs down which will in turn drive down the overall price of 3D Vision. Without this one step, Nvidia’s innovative product may continue on in a niche market but will never make its way to widespread acceptance.

Final Words...and on to Part II

To sum this all up, there is one question I am sure you have been asking yourself from the getgo: is 3D Vision ready for prime time? Yes, it is. It is remarkably stable and easy-to-use, has a huge (and expanding) list of supported games, gets regular driver updates and actually works very well. Those are all the essential goals every new product has before it and Nvidia hit every one of them. But, how does it compare to the competing solution from iZ3D? You’ll have to wait until Part II to hear about that since it really does deserve its own article. Stay tuned.