Topic: 3DS and Your Eyes

[leahsdad]

Hi everyone, I've been reading all sorts of crazy things on the interwebs about the 3DS and people complaining about headaches and nausea...I was wondering what everyone else's experiences have been like?


First, I've been having no issues whatsoever.  Granted, I've got perfect vision, I never get nausea or motion sickness from anything, I can read or play DS in the car, I ride crazy rollercoasters after eating double cheeseburgers, etc..  My experience may not mirror your own.


I must say, though, that the longer I've been playing it, the easier the 3D has been for me.  Now I open up my 3DS and I get perfect sweet spot 3D, automatically, with absolutely zero effort.  I can even look at the touch screen and still see 3D on the top screen with my upper peripheral vision.  I played it standing up, twisting around in periscope mode or face raiders, and I never lose the sweet spot. 


I do, however, think this varies from game to game.  I play SSIV and Steel Diver with the 3D cranked all the way up and I get no ghosting at all.  It's awesome, especially Steel Diver, which just looks amazing.


But I think something is a little wrong with Pilotwings Resort.  I get pretty bad ghosting with that game unless I turn the 3D down nearly all the way.  I suspect this might be a developer issue, though, because even with the 3D slider turned nearly off, the 3D looks to have just as much depth as SSIV and Steel Diver.  In fact, turning the 3D slider all the way up on this game just seems to cause ghosting for me, and doesn't seem to add much noticeable depth.  Which is sad, because this game is like crack, it's so addictive.


I also thought the 3D in that OK Go music video was off.  I got lots of ghosting on that, and just like with Pilotwings, I had to turn the 3D slider nearly all the way down.


So that's my 3D experience so far.  Anyone's eyes melt off yet?  Anyone's head explode?

[KnowsNothing]

It's been strange and inconsistent so far, at least as far as ghosting is concerned.  While I find that seeing the 3D has become easier, the effect of ghosting has gone up.  When I first played Pilotwings I got no ghosting at all and everything looked great.  Then when I played Rayman I got severe ghosting during the cut scenes but none during game play.  Now I get it on certain objects in both games, but only some of the time; other times it looks great.

[Tanookisuit]

I only get ghosting if I'm very tired.

I got headaches after playing demo units, but now it never bothers me, and I instantly find that sweet spot just as you described.  I've even found I have no trouble looking back and forth between the touchscreen and the 3D screen.

[nickmitch]

I can play SSFIV3D and Face Raiders until the battery dies, but Pilot Wings really gets to me.

[KDR_11k]

I only got a headache once: After taking a photo you can adjust the separation with the analog pad, like half a screen apart. That just hurts. No other issues.

[Ceric]

I've had no real problems unless I'm moving the unit like in Monkey Ball or the menu items are spinning like an out of control space station, which happen when I first used it in the car. 

[yoshi1001]

"I also thought the 3D in that OK Go music video was off.  I got lots of ghosting on that, and just like with Pilotwings, I had to turn the 3D slider nearly all the way down."

Actually I think with videos/photos, 3D is either on or off. From what I can tell, the slider works by adjusting the distance between the "eyes", which only works when it can render the image on the spot. With prerecorded content, the image distance is fixed.

[oohhboy]

If I break off from viewing the screen really quickly, like playing an AR game and moving too much, but still have part of the screen visible to one eye, that eye wigs out and starts twitching left and right really with full deflection really fast and with enough force to hurt. Almost as if it's trying to track both images at the same time matching the refresh rate(Yes it's moving that fast). It stops the moment I completely break away.

It doesn't happen all the time and is very specific in how it happens. I don't own a 3DS yet and I have every intention to do so. But the viewing angle in 3D is poor but workable which means 3D plus moving is a big no-no. The effect almost feels natural once you find that sweet spot and even with the issues, it is far superior to what you get on TVs.

[leahsdad]

But the viewing angle in 3D is poor but workable which means 3D plus moving is a big no-no

You know, that's kinda funny, because before I got my 3DS I'd heard that a lot too, and on the first day I had trouble maintaining the sweet spot while playing AR games and Face Raiders.

But...

After putting about 15+ hours in the 3DS, I noticed that something had changed, in so far that the sweet spot got easier to get and easier to maintain.  I just noticed today that I can play Pilotwings Resort with the slider turned up a little more higher than when I played up to a few days ago.    I also noticed that I can stand up and play periscope mode on Steel Diver without leaving the sweet spot, and without expending much physical or mental effort trying to maintain it.

Also, I noticed that the sweet spot seems higher/taller than it is wider.  Meaning, I can tilt my 3DS up and down quite a bit without losing the sweet spot, but tilting it left or right to the same degree makes me lose it.  I don't know if it was always like that, or if this is also something that has resulted from prolonged use.  Though considering how the parallax tech works, I guess this should not be too surprising, no?

Anyone else notice that the sweet spot effect is getting easier? 

[Ceric]

Your brain is figuring out how to make minute compensations for the changes.  Like driving.  When your first driving stayin in the center is a goal not hard but not automatice.  After doing it for a while you eventually get to the point where you can be half asleep and stay in the center of the road and 3 seconds away from the other car.

[oohhboy]

Tilting the 3DS up and down is a immaterial. The parallax screen(Effectively a 3rd screen) works by splitting what each eye sees by vertically blocking the image very quickly. Underneath is a normal LCD, so up and down the view angle is unchanged. Flip the 3DS upside down and the 3D effect remains. Rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or anti-clockwise the effect disappears and you can rotate it u and down with the clear image, but no effect. Turning it left or right destroys the effect and the image. Viewing from a distance like over someone's shoulder reduces the effect, but increase the area where you can view the screen.

[Ailingforale]

The 3D got easier for me with time as well.  I've also seen no ghosting.  I haven't played Pilotwings though sooo... yeh.  I've put quite a few hours into Shadow Wars and have had no issues (headache, ghosting, trouble finding the sweet spot).  All in all, I love it.

[Razorkid]

I, too, have acclimated to the 3D even more so after playing with the unit extensively.  Games that I couldn't crank all the way up like Ridge Racer and Pilotwings, I can now.  It's amazing reading and hearing about the different experiences with 3D and how pretty much everyone who has had and played the system long enough are finding playing games in 3D a more enjoyable experience.  I wish more (if any) media outlets would point this out.

[leahsdad]

I wish more (if any) media outlets would point this out.

Yeah.  I read those idiots on IGN write things like "Oh, no one will turn on 3D in face raiders because it's impossible to maintain the 3D effect while turning around."

I turn around, I walk through my apartment, I swing my 3DS in periscope mode at ridiculously high velocities trying to torpedo ships all around me, and I still maintain 3D crystal clear.  It's just crazy how easy this has gotten.

Of course, I still tilt left and right playing Pilotwings, and I lose the 3D easily.  Oh, and I know that tilting my body, or the 3DS, doesn't help me make those tight turns.  I'm just an idiot.  Seriously.  Been doing this since Mario Kart on SNES.  Makes no sense.

[Despicable]

Yeah its true you can experience headaches or dissyness well playing it for more than 30 minutes. I played a demo and it made me feel weird. BTW the 3D on the 3DS is't even very cool, it barley pops out, and makes it just look fuzzy. I reccomend IF you'd get a 3DS leave the 3D off. The graphics are still great and gameplay is fun.

[Ceric]

Yeah its true you can experience headaches or dissyness well playing it for more than 30 minutes. I played a demo and it made me feel weird. BTW the 3D on the 3DS is't even very cool, it barley pops out, and makes it just look fuzzy. I reccomend IF you'd get a 3DS leave the 3D off. The graphics are still great and gameplay is fun.

I have to disagree with this.  I find the picture to be nice in 3D but its more akin to the 3D approach Avatar took which is looking out a window not standing in the middle of it.  Which I believe is a better approach to 3D anyway...

[yoshi1001]

One thing I've noticed is that photos appear to jump when I switch off 3D. This is probably because I'm right-eye dominant (something I learned in hunter's safety), and the 3DS uses the left image in 2D mode.

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

The only thing that has actually messed with my eyes is the weather effect during the Free Fishing game on the AR card. Sometimes, it begins to snow, with the flakes falling from where the screen is down onto the virtual water. That felt weird.

After playing the 3DS for a while, I do notice that occasionally, while looking at my computer screen, the words appear to be further forward, just for a second.

[Kwolf]

I haven't had any real problems.  I do suffer from migraines, but never had them triggered from screen or anything.   To be honest though, I keep my 3D turned off a lot though.  My left eye isn't as great as my right, and I depend more on my right.   I can see the 3D just fine, but as the day goes on I can start to get more ghosting and such. 

That could also be from playing Pilot Wings more lately, as I didn't seem to have that much problems with Street Fighter the brief amount of time I put into it.  I think another part of it is, I find myself moving more when playing pilot wings, which obviously doesn't work well for me.  So I just turn it off a lot, so I don't mess myself up as much.

[leahsdad]

I find myself moving more when playing pilot wings

Yeah, that is a weird psychological effect, isn't it?  I do that too, and on really hard missions where I do that a lot, I will also turn off 3D.

I know some more mentally disciplined people who can resist the urge to twist their shoulders or move left or right when trying to make a tight turn in Pilotwings, but it's really hard for me. 

Once again, crazy, because unlike Starfox 3D, this is not a gyroscope game!  At all! 

[Kwolf]

Yeah, that is a weird psychological effect, isn't it?  I do that too, and on really hard missions where I do that a lot, I will also turn off 3D.

I know some more mentally disciplined people who can resist the urge to twist their shoulders or move left or right when trying to make a tight turn in Pilotwings, but it's really hard for me. 

Once again, crazy, because unlike Starfox 3D, this is not a gyroscope game!  At all!

Yeah it's just something that I have done for a very long time.  I don't get to crazy and flip flop about like a crazy person, but I constantly find myself turning or leaning in with a game.  Which is something that can cause a few problems with 3d and or motion controls.   So yeah, I kinda make sure to turn the 3d off too when doing a challenging mission in pilotwings.  Mostly cause I get too into it, and start to move about a little.  Doing that at the wrong time, can send myself flying off in some strange direction on a turn.  So it's just an ease factor that I turn it off, not really any kinda physical problem or sickness.

[TrueNerd]

Anyone having eye strain from the 3DS is a baby. I had no problems whatsoever during the five minutes I spent playing a store demo the other day. Man up. Seriously.