In context: The CES 2024 trade show will see a lot of new tech toys, including PC peripherals, computer hardware, TVs, and more. Companies like LG, Asus, and Alienware are also showcasing innovative monitors for gamers, professionals, and general users. Samsung is joining the bandwagon by unveiling its own high-tech concept gaming monitor that allows people to enjoy 3D/VR content without glasses.
While glasses-free 3D was once thought to be the next big thing in tech, that craze wore off pretty quickly after failing to gain traction among mainstream consumers. However, Samsung's new monitor is creating renewed interest in the technology, as it seemingly works much better than the older glasses-free 3D devices.
Called the Samsung 2D/3D gaming monitor, it can switch between 2D and 3D modes instantly at the press of a button. According to Samsung, the 3D mode can analyze the user's position and track their eyes in real time to create the 3D effects and offer an immersive gaming experience.
Jacob Roach from Digital Trends got the opportunity to try out the new monitor, and by all accounts, was pretty impressed by it. Roach played Lies of P on the monitor, finding it to be significantly better than the older glasses-free 3D displays that typically had a very narrow sweet spot, which constantly broke the immersion and made for a poor VR experience. With the new Samsung monitor, however, he had no such issues; it worked exactly as advertised.
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Roach did point out a few gremlins that prevented his 3D experience from being perfect. There's some annoying screen tearing on background elements when the camera pans out, although it doesn't necessarily spoil the entire experience. While Roach suspects that the problems are the result of the faux 3D transformation, Samsung did not offer an official explanation for it.
For now, the new monitor is still in the concept stage, meaning there's no official launch date. Samsung says it will announce more details later this year, but there's no telling whether it will ever see the light of day as a full-fledged commercial product. Even if it does make it to retail shelves in the future, it will likely be priced at a premium, so expect to cough up a pretty penny if you want to experience Samsung's glasses-free 3D experience at home.