Samsung tries glasses-free 3D again with new gaming monitors

Samsung is showing some impressive gaming monitors at this year’s Gamescom trade show in Germany. There are new OLEDs in 34-inch and 49-inch models, and the big one is coming in a flavor that doesn’t have all the smart TV features that PC users really don’t need.

But the show-stealer is definitely the Odyssey 3D, which attempts to provide 3D video and gaming without needing 3D glasses.

This is hardly the first time we’ve seen this. After the glut of glasses-based 3D televisions more than a decade ago, the Nintendo 3DS handheld gave us the best-known implementation of lenticular screen technology, which uses slightly offset images to simulate depth.

Never used one before? It’s like peering through a slightly foggy window into a diorama that extends behind the physical space of the display. Acer recently worked with SpatialLabs to bring that tech to a monitor and gaming laptop.

Samsung thinks it’s cracked the tech with a newer generation of lenticular display panels called “light field” that’s combined with “eye tracking and view mapping technology.” Using cameras and visual sensors on the front of the monitor, the panels adjust the offset display in real time to maintain the three-dimensional illusion.

The Odyssey 3D is ironing out some weaknesses in earlier implementations of glasses-free 3D, bringing the experience up to modern PC gaming standards. The 27-inch and 37-inch models both offer a 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, plus compatibility with AMD FreeSync Premium to avoid stuttering.

And if you ever want to disable the 3D effect — say, for doing anything at all aside from playing a video game or watching a movie — it’s easy to switch to a conventional 2D mode.

Samsung’s presentation versions of the Odyssey 3D monitors look like they’re ready for prime time, complete with the company’s usual sleek and adjustable monitor stands. But the press release makes no mention of a release date or price. Acer’s attempt at 3D made it to retailers last year, though it doesn’t seem to have made a huge splash. We’ll see if Samsung has the courage to give it another try… and if consumers can stomach whatever the price tag might be.

Further reading: The best monitors for gaming, 4K, HDR, and more