Wall-Sized 3D Gaming With Nvidia 3D Vision

Features
By Don Woligroski
published

A couple of months ago, we built a 3D dual-projector system, just like in movie theaters. Now, we're comparing it to Nvidia's 3D Vision projector-based setup to see which option offers the best consumer-level 3D experience for your living room.

Benchmark Results: Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box

I can't think of a racing title I'd rather play to experience the ugly fun of high-speed collisions in stereo 3D. For the record, this game gets the most traction out of the titles I demonstrate when people come over to experience wall-sized 3D gaming. Burnout is very accessible, and players never seem to tire of racing through ParadiseCity. High-speed crashing and jumps in 3D never get old.

We use the following settings for our tests: 1280x720 (native projector resolution), highest details, and 8x MSAA.

We use 8x MSAA with this title because, for whatever reason, Burnout Paradise is a game that seems to highlight jaggy edges at low resolutions. So, 8x MSAA is how we counter that.

Game Experience using 3D Vision:

For Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, 3D Vision has the following to say when it comes to compatibility: "Rating: Good, some objects render incorrectly."

After putting some time into the title, I have to say it's hard to believe it was given the same rating as Crysis. This game works a heck of a lot better than Crysis in 3D mode, and it appears just fine with all of the bells and whistles enabled.

Comparing with the Polarized Dual-Projector Drivers:

Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box works very well with the TriDef driver, but the iZ3D driver suffers from shadow artifacts and glitches that spoil the experience.

TriDef Ignition Driver Screenshot:

iZ3D Driver Screenshot:

Note the extra random shadows all over the road compared to the TriDef driver. These shadows crawled all over the place while driving

Burnout Paradise 3D Stereo Performance:

Burnout Paradise is the biggest disappointment in our test suite as it pertains to 3D Vision. This is due to poor performance and not because of poor visuals. The good news is that lowering shadow detail makes the game run a lot smoother, and 8x AA can be enabled because it doesn't seem to have an effect on performance.

Don Woligroski
84 Comments Comment from the forums
  • hemburger
    I'd rather wall sized 1080p playback than wall sized 3D playback. = )
    Reply
  • Lmeow
    I would love to have a 3D system like this, unfortunately it's nCredibly expensive...
    Reply
  • Tamz_msc
    I don't care about 3D.
    Reply
  • infodan
    What about DLP 3D? the projector supports it, DLP-link glasses are cheaper and dont require a transmitter like the nvidia glasses.
    Reply
  • TheStealthyOne
    "The whole experiment consisted of about $2500 worth of hardware and software, NOT including the PC driving the displays."

    I cringed.
    Reply
  • kolsky
    I own a acer h5360 and I agree, it is awesome watching 3d movies on it. 1080p? Dont even notice pixellation at 115 inch screen. 720p is fine and at a great price. 1080p 3d projectors will be extremely expensive for average consumers.
    Reply
  • proxy711
    kolsky 3d is extremely expensive for average consumers.
    Fixed.
    Reply
  • Rickyw972
    Is this projector better than the Mitshibshi 73" 1080p dlp for $1100?
    Reply
  • kolsky
    Im sorry, but 3d is NOT expensive. The acer 5360 can be bought for as low as 580 and the nvidia vision glasses kit can be bought for as low as 150. That is under 1,000... less than the cost of a 3D TV.
    Reply
  • DaFees
    Interesting read, but ultimately all this 3D talk leaves me with a big question. I have a PS3 and if I upgrade my PC to a 3D vision enabled PC is there a projector (perhaps the one discussed in this article) that would allow me to enjoy the 3D from my PS3 and my PC? I understand if I would need a switch between devices or manually switch cables. I know NVIDIA is working on a 3DTV play tech that let's you use the glasses of 3D enabled HDTV to enjoy NVIDIA 3D Vision, but is there a similar option for projectors?
    Reply