Other than tablets, the next big thing at CES 2011 was glass-less 3D display technology. Toshiba, Sony and Samsung all have glass-less 3D displays on devices such as netbooks and smartphones. What many people don’t know though is that glass-less 3D started with Nintendo.
Glass-less 3D display technology, contrary to popular belief, has been around for a while. In an interview posted on Nintendo’s website the company’s chief executive officer Satoru Iwata says that Nintendo had already come up with an attachable screen for Game Boy Advance SP (GBA SP) that could show 3D images. For those who don’t know, GBA SP was a huge hit of its time, in fact it was the portable game player of choice for most enthusiasts.
Explaining the kind of problems the company was experiencing with glass-less 3D technology, Satoru Iwata said that a special liquid crystal is required to create 3D images visible to the naked eye. At that time, LCD Resolution was low, so images didn’t look enticing enough, and Game Boy’s glass-less 3D player was never realised as a product.
Besides, GBA SP was doing well, so its makers didn’t feel an urgent need to introduce the 3D screen. But 3D imagery was something that was always playing on Nintendo’s mind and the company finally has plans to launch.