Samsung's 2D/3D gaming monitor shows Nintendo was ahead of its time

Often when Nintendo debuts a new console or handheld, there's an idea attached to it. Sometimes, it works out. The Wii and the Switch are two of the company's most successful and well-received endeavors. Other times, it's an idea that sounds good on paper, but the world just isn't ready for it. The Wii U and the Virtual Boy are two prime examples of that. The Nintendo 3DS is a rare case of both. Released in 2011, it was one of Nintendo's most successful gaming systems, but the idea that it presented, the concept of 3D without glasses, was one that ultimately didn't pan out. The games were amazing, but with an exception of a small handful of titles, the 3D gimmick didn't work out to the point that Nintendo eventually scrapped it.

Over a decade later, Nintendo is once more proving to be ahead of its time. Glasses-less 3D is beginning to emerge across various tech companies. TCL, for example, has gradually been putting together glasses-free 3D televisions. However, the most prominent name to put the idea to work in the gaming realm at CES 2024 is Samsung. Samsung introduced a new 2D/3D gaming monitor that's in its early stages, but it's an idea that proves that Nintendo was once again ahead of the game by presenting an unparalleled 3D gaming experience without the need for cumbersome glasses.

On Tuesday afternoon, I was seated in front of the Samsung 2D/3D gaming monitor and placed in the middle of a Lies of P session. Before long, my eyes adjusted to the scene placed before me and the characters began to pop out in vibrant 3D. While the 3DS required some squinting to make the gimmick work, Samsung's monitor presented a much clearer picture. Part of that is because the company has made advancements over the years with its vibrant displays. This is the year that Samsung is introducing more advanced Odyssey OLED gaming monitors that present a clearer picture and virtually eliminate glare entirely.

The other reason that Samsung's glasses-free 3D works is because the panel tracks the user's movements. By exercising eye and head tracking with its 3D mode, the monitor can capably present a clearer 3D effect. Of course, that does come with a few flaws. If a friend wants to come in and watch the action over a user's shoulder, they need to be shooed away. The head tracking won't work with more than one person present and instead results in a blurrier image.

The best thing about Samsung's 3D effect is that it recognizes situations in which it is needed. For a game like Lies of P, it will put its 3D magic to work. If a user exits out and goes to a purely 2D application, such as Microsoft Office, the monitor's 3D effect will be idled. It's an incredible visual effect that pictures can't do justice, though we did manage to take a photo. Can't really see anything, can you? That's because it has to be experienced in person.

Most interesting is that Samsung isn't content with merely presenting and perfecting an old Nintendo idea. The company is looking to push the concept forward. With the 2D/3D gaming monitor able to clearly present 3D images, it can actually be used for VR titles without the use of a virtual reality headset. Samsung is claiming that the display is compatible with existing VR titles and experiences. For the future, the company is in talks with Valve for Steam VR compatibility for past titles and for upcoming ones.

In 2010, glasses-free 3D was a gimmick, albeit an impressive one. The Nintendo 3DS succeeded for many reasons, but glasses-free 3D wasn't one of them. The world wasn't actually ready for it. Walking out of CES 2024, however, and having experienced high-level PC gaming with a 3D image popping out at me, it became clear that the age of glasses-free 3D may be around the corner, especially if Samsung can make it work with VR gaming. The future is looking bright, but this time, nobody has to wear shades.

The Samsung 2D/3D gaming monitor is early in development. There is no release information or pricing available, but Samsung is promising more information later in 2024. For more from this year's Consumer Electronics Show, be sure to check out our CES 2024 topic page.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?