Not all DirectX games work well but there are plenty of popular titles that work really well with the GeForce 3D Vision kit. Since this product is now available for purchase, NVIDIA's going to work with the developers to make sure it's implemented well on future titles. I am happy to see support for plenty of older games but I am hopeful more companies, such as Capcom did with Resident Evil 5, give full support to this product to enable the GeForce 3D Vision to be utilized to its fullest extent.
Running at 120Hz, let me say that I never once experienced any eye strain or fatigue. I was able to play hours without being annoyed and when I took off my glasses during long periods I felt fine. Now, I can't speak for everyone of course but for most people you shouldn't experience any issues. It's the reason NVIDIA wanted 120Hz monitors so most people won't have any issues playing with the GeForce 3D Vision kit for long periods of time. As mentioned earlier, I remember using similar types of glasses back in the day from ELSA and I could only play for a short period of time because I noticed the flickering. With the GeForce 3D Vision Kit, I saw no flickering but a clear albeit a little darker image through the glasses.
All the 3D goodness does come at a price though besides the monetary cost. You're going to need a very good video card and a somewhat good machine to get a smooth gaming experience. Seeing as each scene is rendered twice (one for each eye), you can expect about a 50% decrease in performance when you turn on 3D. Playing a few games with FRAPS running, I saw the frames per second just drop tremendously once I pushed the activation button on the IR Emitter. For those that are playing games that aren't running at a fairly good clip already, you're probably going get some stuttering when things get heated on the screen.
This isn't just for 3D gaming though as NVIDIA has put out a media player that will allow you to watch stereoscopic 3D movies on your home setup as well. There's even a picture viewer for those what want to see 3D pictures. So, while I focused a lot about the gaming aspect here, there are other applications as well that this setup can benefit from. Imagine checking out the Avatar at home in 3D just like in the movie theater. Yes, each person will need a pair of glasses and you can have multiple glasses work from one GeForce 3D Vision setup but the experience of a full color 3D movie at home is something that I know a lot of people are excited about. With the GeForce 3D Vision, that reality is closer than ever.
It's hard to say if 3D's going to take off but seeing it firsthand I hope it does. It really does add to the experience when playing some games and takes it to a whole new level. The GeForce 3D Vision kit is a fun and innovative product from NVIDIA. Yes, you'll need a NVIDIA video card to get this to work and as mentioned earlier, a 120Hz monitor should you not currently have one. I wish it was as simple as picking up these glasses and plugging it into your current system for it to work but right now that's not the case. With a big push from various companies for 3D at home, I'm happy to see NVIDIA taking the initiative to provide a solution to the consumer right now. While it might not work well on all games, when it does it's a sight to behold and a great new way to experience games.
A-
While you'll probably need to sink a good amount of cash in getting everything setup well, the GeForce 3D Vision delivers on the games that work really well. As with any technology that is in its infancy, you're going to have to wait a little bit to have all the kinks work out and a bunch of items work out really well with it. But, when it works out well, it works out really well and it does add a lot to gaming. Eye strain, for me, was not an issue and I could wear the setup for hours or so. For movies or gaming, the GeForce 3D Vision will give consumers something new to experience.
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