An estimated six million Britons have a visual impairment that prevents them from seeing 3D images, says The Eyecare Trust
It means that around six million people could be missing out on the 3D revolution in gaming, films and broadcast television, charity The Eyecare Trust warns.
Around 10 per cent of the UK population has poor binocular vision, which means it is difficult for them to see 3D effects in movies and video games. Instead, they see a blurry image, and can suffer headaches and eye strain as a result.
“3D is appearing everywhere, and there’s loads of people complaining they can’t see it,” Dharmesh Patel, chairman of The Eyecare Trust, told gaming website MCV.
“For these six million people, it’s like taking the 3D glasses off, making everything all blurry. It can create really bad headaches and aches behind the eyes. Sometimes, something can be done, but it depends on the individual case.”
3D technology is expected to take off in recent years, with a growing number of films and video games expected to use the new visual medium. Sky is launching a dedicated 3D channel to coincide with the new football season, while game studio Ubisoft expects domestic 3D televisions to be “ubiquitous” by 2013.
Sony, which has recently released a firmware update to add 3D gameplay capability to its PlayStation 3 console, has acknowledged that some people may experience “discomfort” when watching 3D images.
Sony Computer Entertainment, the company’s gaming arm, has updated its terms and conditions to reflect these concerns. It said some people may experience eye strain, eye fatigue or nausea while watching 3D video images or playing 3D games.
“We recommend that all viewers take regular breaks while watching 3D video or playing stereoscopic games.
“The vision of young children, especially those under six years old, is still under development, and we recommend that you consult your doctor before allowing young children to watch 3D video images.