More than a decade ago, 3D TVs were all the rage thanks to the rise of 3D movies. Then they quickly faded away, as few people were willing to spend the money on a gimmick that required glasses to even make use of it.
But it looks like 3D displays are back, at least for computer monitors.
Samsung opened preorders for its 27-inch Odyssey 3D G90XF 4K 165Hz gaming monitor, and it's doing something remarkable. Instead of just displaying 3D visuals from a 3D source like a movie, it can convert almost all content, whether it be games or videos, into 3D. And it's all done without the use of 3D glasses. There is, however, a catch.
The first big catch is that the computer hooked up to the Odyssey 3D G90XF must have an Nvidia RTX 3080 graphics card or better. For games, the computer must also have Samsung's Reality Hub app installed as well. And lastly, the content can't be DRM-protected.
The 3D technology uses AI to add depth to a video or game. As for how it works without glasses, the front panel of the monitor features a lenticular lens. This tracks a user's eye movement and constantly adjusts the image to give the 3D depth perception.
Samsung says it's working with game developers to make use of the technology. Two titles the tech works with are The First Berserker: Khazan, which came out last month, and Lies of P. DLC Overture, which should be out later this year.
Even without the 3D technology, the Odyssey 3D G90XF still has the features of a high-end gaming monitor, with 165Hz refresh rate, 4K resolution, and 1ms response time. It also comes with a big price tag, although Best Buy does have the price at $2,000.
3D is all the rage again.
Samsung isn't the only company coming out with 3D monitors.
Acer showed off its SpatialLabs 3D technology at last year's Computex, while Lenovo has its ThinkVision 27 3D Glasses-free monitor. It remains to be seen if these monitors will win over gamers who are willing to drop two grand on a monitor.
Those prices, however, might be going up thanks to tariffs. On April 2, President Donald Trump announced a series of tariffs on countries the U.S. trades with, causing a global economic panic that cratered markets.
Trump has since changed his stance by putting a pause on tariffs for certain countries, with China being the big exception. Tariffs on China increased to 145%.
On Friday evening, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection released a list of products excluded from the tariffs that includes smartphones, laptops, and computer monitors. However, on Sunday morning, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told ABC News that those products being excluded from tariffs is temporary.
