Many consumers find it difficult to wrap their head around the idea of buying a new television just to get 3D functionality. Sony’s answer is a 3D television that wraps around your head. The company’s new head-mounted 3D display is designed to give users a theater-like 3D viewing experience without needing a big screen.

The device is still in the prototype stage and it’s unclear when it will reach consumers, but it has the potential to be a very compelling product. It is designed primarily for viewing 3D video content, but Sony hinted during its press briefing that the head-mounted display is also a great way to make 3D gaming more immersive.

I got some hands-on time to test the prototype at Sony’s CES booth after the company’s press briefing. It has two separate screens on the inside—one for each eye. It has a simple slider for adjusting the distance between the screens, allowing it to be easily calibrated to match the spacing between the user’s eyes for optimal 3D performance. Before using the device, a Sony representative at the booth had me briefly put on a transparent pair of glasses with measurement hash marks so that he could determine the proper setting I should use for the head-mounted display.

The headset has a shiny white finish and a blue lighting strip across the front. Because it’s a prototype and not a finished design, it didn’t fully strap on. I had to hold it in place during my hands-on test, so I wasn’t really able to get an accurate sense of whether its weight is an issue. The actual consumer version will likely stay in place when worn. Of course, it looks even more dorky than regular 3D glasses—we couldn’t decide if it most resembled X-Men’s Cyclops, Geordi La Forge, or the original Cylons.