With news of the imminent arrival of the much awaited Nintendo 3DS handheld (games) console, many are wondering if their 3D expectations will be met. Indeed some have even asked whether the kind of experience they will have when playing games such as Super Street Fighter and Resident Evil, or watching movies such as the original Shaun the Sheep will surpass what they are already used to.
Well, the answer to those questions cannot be far from actually taking a close look at how the 3DS will function and the kind of technology it uses. Basically, the 3DS is not too dissimilar from the DS in terms of its basic screen arrangement; the bottom touch screen uses a telescoping stylus that is stored in the unit while the top screen displays the 3D visuals.
In order to create the 3D effect, the system uses what is called a parallax barrier. The parallax barrier is a second LCD screen that sits just over the main viewing panel. It consists of a layer of material with a series of precision slits which makes it possible for each eye to see a different set of pixels, thereby creating a sense of 3D depth. Although the technology (as it is right now) works well when the user is sat in a fixed point in front of the viewing image, the same cannot be said when it is viewed from an angle position.
Furthermore, the Nintendo 3DS handheld console comes with a slider at the side which allows to choose the intensity of the 3D display from an intense experience to a moderate or relatively low one. However, there is a slight reason for concern which has prompted Nintendo to warn that children under 6 years of age should not use the 3D function. While the 3DS will appeal to a lot of people including those children that are under the age of 6, there is the possibility that it could interfere with the development of their eyesight and the future use of their eye muscles.
READ: Nintendo 3DS Review here
Talking Point
Are you excited by the launch of the Nintendo 3DS?
