The face of PC gaming is changing, and it’s taking on a whole new dimension. While frame rates and image quality continue to improve year-on-year, what’s arguably the biggest graphical innovation in recent months is the realisation of 3D gaming.
Spearheaded by NVIDIA’s 3D Vision technology I believe that the PC’s use of stereoscopic three-dimensional visuals has improved to the point at which it can no longer be branded as merely a flash-in-the-pan gimmick.
I’ve had issues with the technology in the past, but 3D Vision’s shortcomings have, for the most part, rested with the accompanying multimedia content. Games quite simply haven’t provided the desired 3D wow factor, and titles that gave it a shot were often impaired through poor three-dimensional effects, on-screen artifacts and little visible addition of depth. But if you thought 3D Vision’s days were numbered (we’ll admit it, the thought had crossed my mind), you might just been wrong.
In the days leading up to the launch of NVIDIA’s crown jewel – the GeForce GTX 580 graphics card – I was able to revisit 3D Vision and put some of the latest titles to the test. My conclusion? 3D Vision might now be ready to finally deliver some of the wow factor it once sorely missed.
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(conclusion section)
Cutting a long story short(er)
3D content still has a long way to go, and I’m genuinely divided on its suitability in all areas of life; I still enjoy it far more at the cinema than I do in the living room.
The PC is somewhere in between, and though the computer’s 3D experience has historically disappointed, it’s now starting to prove its worth. Through the release of better 3D-capable games, my 3D Vision lenses are no longer sat around collecting dust, and my £35 PS3 copy of Black Ops is about to be traded in.
NVIDIA’s 3D Vision, then, is a work in progress. It can look absolutely fantastic at times, given the correct interaction of software and hardware, but NVIDIA needs to continue working hard with developers to ensure that upcoming triple-A games have integrated support for 3D from the get-go. The company also needs to continue pushing non-gaming 3D – pictures, films, etc. – as a worthwhile reason for investment, and I reckon that increased content in 2011 will provide the necessary stimulus on this front. Thinking about it for a moment, I’d give 3D Vision a ‘B-‘ rating at the end of 2010.
Looking forward to 2011, in order to really succeed, NVIDIA has to take a lead role in lowering the financial barriers to 3D entry – cheaper active-shutter glasses and, perhaps, NVIDIA-led rebates on 3D screens, together with sub-£1,000 3D Vision totin’ laptops. Ultimately, I believe that the nascent ecosystem will only flourish once it is widely available in the mainstream market, be it for the PC or laptop. Right now, it remains too expensive for Joe Average.