Samsung said it conducted an internal survey among the so-called “hardcore game” crowd to find out what they want in the next-generation game display. The crowd’s logo is willing to pay thousands of dollars for the latest PC gaming gear. 62% said they hope the next generation includes advanced immersion, an ideal place to test waters with 3D technology.
You say, “When we look at demographics, or just the overall consumer base of monitors, especially when you talk about premium monitors over $1,000, the vast majority of people spend it on games.” That’s important because these first 3D gaming monitors aren’t cheap. Despite the surprisingly limited game support at launch, the Samsung Odyssey 3D costs $2,000.
“We’re in that early adoption stage, right? Prices are a bit shocking for most consumers,” he said. “But we feel that once people get into the 3D ecosystem, we’re going to attract more game studios and developers because they see an increase in the market that is always accessible.”
When it comes to this, gamers are willing to spend more on an immersive experience, which will catch up with the rest of the 3D ecosystem.
3D on each screen
As you pointed out, even Odyssey 3D is “not just a 3D gaming monitor.” Whether it’s YouTube, zooming, or even just full-screen photos, the monitor can convert 2D to 3D using machine learning algorithms and add artificial depth layers that didn’t exist before. While the effect isn’t as convincing as it is in the game, and DRM’s limitations limit the content, it’s still an impressive technical demonstration. Not only that, AI enables 3D to overcome the need for tailored 3D content, another major issue in 3D Tech in the past. It is growing seeds to offer a wider range of uses, and more mainstream audiences can benefit from it.
Fattal said the game is his best 3D use case. “3D has a much better ability to convey relationships on a flat screen,” he said. He explained that taking 3D photos and videos of children made him truly believe in the power of 3D. His dream is a world where you can shoot and experience all your videos in 3D. “Our goal is to get a complete standard of standards on all devices, especially on phones so that people can chat, take photos and videos and share on social media, all of which should be in 3D.”
It was an ambitious wish and responded by the Silicon Valley Titans. Apple and Google have been touting space photos and videos with their respective mixed reality ecosystems where you can experience memories in-depth. Google also recently showed off Google Beam, a way to convert people on video calls to show more 3D and come to life for a more personal feel.
Without gamers willing to try out earlier versions of VR, Apple vision professionals would never be able to exist even due to a severe lack of gaming libraries and uncomfortable headphones. VR always has other use cases, but gaming has always been the main attraction. Now it is too early to say whether this new era of 3D is better than VR’s success in surpassing gaming.
Don’t expect 3D TV to make a comeback anytime soon – the current implementation makes 3D technology suitable for only one person. But for the moment, companies like Samsung have greater hope for the spread of 3D, promising to “downgrade” their 3D monitor lineup next year or two years. This is a serious vote of trust.
