Build Your Own: Wall-Sized 3D Gaming, Just Like Theaters Do It

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Benchmark Results: Star Trek Online

This might seem like an odd title to test at first, but let me just say that epic space battles in wall-sized 3D are so incredibly impressive that this is everyone's favorite game to sit back and watch. The sense of scale is simply delicious with the camera poised behind the saucer section of a mighty starship that fires volley after volley of phaser cannons towards a target far off in the distance, while floating space debris contributes to a sense of depth. 

Game Settings:

We set the native projector resolution to 1280x720 and the game's visual-detail settings to the recommend quality with 4x MSAA.

Game Experience Using the TriDef Ignition Driver:

Unfortunately, we have another game in which the TriDef driver fails to work. Trying to use the driver crashes the game. Once again, forum users claim to have gotten this game to work with TriDef 3D Ignition, suggesting that the rarely used and tested dual-projector output might be the culprit here.

Game Experience Using the iZ3D Driver:

As it always seems to, the iZ3D driver works. The iZ3D driver also produces some shadow glitches (as we've noticed in other titles). Unfortunately, this can't be fixed by adjusting the convergence. We are left with the choice of using the low-quality setting to remove the shadow problems or to endure them by adjusting convergence to display properly at one depth while another depth would continue to show distracting anomalies. Aside from this, the darkness of the space background contrasts with the brightness of ships to contribute to some crosstalk artifacts. It is a little distracting at times, but not that bad on the whole.

Despite all of this, we rely heavily on the iZ3D driver and appreciate its ability to work. We simply would not have been able to experience Star Trek Online otherwise, and like we said, this game is a spectator favorite.

Star Trek Online 3D Stereo Performance:

For whatever reason, the iZ3D driver seems to work a lot smoother with the Radeon HD 4890 card in Star Trek Online, but frame rates are good with both of the graphics cards we tested.

Don Woligroski
124 Comments Comment from the forums
  • MiamiU
    seems like being a hardcore gamer just keeps getting more and more expensive...
    Reply
  • Don't gives too big an image to try and see it 3d. A monitor can't handle: 800px \00d7 248px!!!! That's just crazy big!!!
    Reply
  • Icehearted
    As for poor folk like me, we'll just settle for those still images where we cross our eyes, and cry because $2,565 is far away from "comfortable".
    Reply
  • winner4455
    I can see this becoming main stream and the next few years... In 3d too.
    Reply
  • tigerwraith
    2.6k now but you know things like this keep getting cheaper and cheaper. Maybe by this time next year, the 1080p 2600 lumens will drop to 500, and the drivers will better support dual projector setups.
    Reply
  • tigerwraith
    But I do have a question would of mattered if you used LCD projectors?
    Reply
  • gti88
    Great article! Thanx a lot.
    But as I can see, 3D stereo is not there yet.
    Almost no movies are available at 3DS, and game developers don't focus on stereo optimisation. Thus, we have some glitches and inconveniences.
    Reply
  • pojih
    ahh, something else to cost an arm and a leg...

    not saying that many people here don't want the fastest and most expensive....

    but it was clearly shown that many people looking at this site want something that performs for what it costs, as seen by the fermi release and the comments .....
    Reply
  • skora
    Whats the next price bracket up for a projector with higher res?

    I like the idea of dual projectors better than the alt-image standard, but they didn't ask me.

    Here's a wild thought, soon, everyone will have their own glasses that not only do the shutter for 3D, but will also be able to be personal monitors. Connect to any computer/phone/TV with your glasses. Displays might even become unnecessary. That will be the next wireless mainstream device. The iShades. Phone, mobile pc and display, earbud is right there. Have pants that have built in keyboard. We'll all just be sitting there with our shades on and never see the person next to us as we get lost in the cloud. And it all starts with 3D glasses. :P
    Reply
  • djab
    IceheartedAs for poor folk like me, we'll just settle for those still images where we cross our eyes, and cry because $2,565 is far away from "comfortable".
    No, you can at least use red/cyan paper glasses with iz3d drivers and a normal display.
    That is not that bad!
    Reply