Nvidia’s New Driver Takes Gaming on the 3D Stage
Posted by Jason on
May 5, 2008
Nvidia is reportedly working on a new driver for its already existing and upcoming graphics card offerings that will unleash 3D features even for 2D games. The new feature is expected to arrive in June or July this year but will only be available for Nvidia graphics card owners.
In short, once the 3D driver is installed, any PC equipped with an Nvidia graphics card will be able to run the game either in 2D mode or in 3D, without having to purchase an expensive 3D-ready monitor. However, you will still have to purchase a pair of 3D glasses, also designed in Nvidia’s laboratories.
The three-dimensional effect will be achieved by giving the user a left eye- and right eye-view of the screen. The new technology is expected to work with any gaming title, given the fact that the 3D effect is not rendered on-screen, but rather on the user’s eye via the special glasses.
Game developers don’t have to adapt their code for the 3D world. However, the users will be required to own an Nvidia graphics card along with the software driver that’s currently in the works. The software driver will control the on-screen information.
When a button is pushed, the crystal-clear 2D image will transform into a blurry and pixelated pile of bits that cannot be effectively processed by the human eye. However, when the gamer looks through the 3D glasses, the image gets re-arranged in all the three dimensions.
Nvidia has yet another aspect to take care of, namely to make the 3D glasses widely available through its retail outlets. Moreover, the company has to find a way to make them look more like a fashionable accessory rather than a geek-like pair of goggles.
