E3 2010 Showfloor Preview: PS3 in 3D
June 21st, 2010 | Written by Anthony Perez | Topic: PlayStation 3
One liner: PS3 in 3D is definitely very cool, but it doesn’t exactly make for a great gaming experience.
There was a lot going on at E3 2010 last week, but Sony’s 3D push was very apparent. They had an entire section of their booth devoted to 3D, and some big titles like Gran Turismo 5 were also shown off in 3D.
Unfortunately, not all is well with 3D play on the PS3. We’ll avoid getting all business-y on all of you with discussions about the hurdles the technology will have to jump including getting people to buy 3D TV’s and glasses, and will instead focus on the what it felt like to actually play in the third dimension.
The most common problems of our 3D play experience were with coloring and depth perception. For all but two 3D games we played, Sly Cooper and Gran Turismo 5, the game looked very blue and very dim. There was a disturbing lack of color in the other games we played (MLB 2K10, Wipeout 3, and Super Stardust HD), which really hampered the play experience as it made it harder to distinguish all of the elements on (or rather, off) the screen. We’re not sure if this is a big problem though, since GT5 and Sly Cooper were really colorful, and it may have just been an issue with some of the titles being early in development.
The effect is very apparent, though. HUDs (heads-up displays) on games like MLB 2K10 seem to float, and exploding asteroids in Super Stardust HD fly off the screen and into your face. It’s very noticeable and admittedly cool. The one problem with 3D gaming – and it’s not just with PS3, but also with the Nintendo 3DS – is that it makes it harder to play games because it is difficult to focus on more than one element on the screen.
For example, we had a very hard time playing Wipeout 3 and MotorStorm Apocalypse because on top of the blue hue overwhelming all other colors, we had a hard time staying focused on the track while we steered the vehicles. End resulting? A lot of crashing. And when we focused on the track, we somehow seemed to lose track of the vehicles. Again, a lot of crashing ensued. The vehicles were right there on the screen and in front of us, but since they were lifted off the track both literally and figuratively, we had a hard time focusing on the tracks and the driving machines at the same time. It’s difficult to explain.
Then again, it may just take time to adjust to playing in 3D, but the cool effect seemed ultimately detrimental to the experience. We also noticed that us and several E3 visitors were feeling eye strain and headaches after extended play. On a personal note, 3D movies never hurt my eyes, but playing the PS3 in 3D did.
It must be noted however, that MotorStorm Apocalypse was one of the most gorgeous games we played at E3 2010. Though it still suffered a bit from that “dim blue” look, the amount of explosions and particle effects flying around in 3D were awe-inspiring. It was truly an amazing visual feast.
So what about you? Do you plan on playing games in 3D? Do you think you’ll be interested in getting a 3D TV and the necessary glasses?
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