Do you remember the days when a racing game was nothing without a two-player split screen mode? Perhaps you yearn for the split screen in your modern FPS games, much like they had in TimeSplitters and GoldenEye 64?
Well maybe, just maybe, Sony are working on a little something to bring back those glory days of elbows flying on the sofa to distract your opponent.
A couple of patents filed last year but published recently have been unearthed by an amusingly titled blog called “Broke my Controller” and picked up on by Kotaku. It seems that there might be another use for that stereoscopic technology that is being pushed so hard by Sony recently.
The patents, viewable in PDF form here and here, clearly describe a method of shuttering alternating images to display one image to one player (or one set of glasses) and another image to another player. Thus having split-screen two-player without splitting the screen.
Each set of glasses is also shown with their own audio supply. The drawback, if these ever make it out of the Research and Development department, is that you need one of those gorgeous but prohibitively expensive 3D televisions. Very cool technology though.
Nauraph
Hmm.. those pdf’s even show that it show some concepts with 2 gamers and one spectator. Or 3 individuals all watching something different.
They even show 2 players with 3D view (4 screens), although it has 2 err.. systems attached to the tv, or something?
The concept is great. And I’m sure it would work with 2 gamers.
Dan Lee
A non 3D variation of this is available on some top of the range cars – so the driver can see the sat nav but the passenger can watch a DVD. Very cool stuff.
ericzap
I was thinking that. Of course it’s a bit more complex due to all of the possible viewing angles.
hazelam
from the looks of it, it should be something that could be done on any 3dtv that uses the active shutter glasses, in theory anyway.
igotmy9milli
Seems pretty pointless. You could buy 3-4 huge TVs and just do system link for the price of a 3D TV.
Raider197
Some people seem to be saying that you could do the same thing if you bought two TVs, but while you could, that wouldn’t get rid of the main problem split-screen has always had; you can see exactly what the other player is doing / where they are, making competitive games a little unfair. I think the main point of this system is to erase that issue, not just give each player the entire screen.
Origami Killer
great idea up to the point where a 3d TV is needed
no more of my brother looking at my cod screen and kiling me when im hiding. also on the likes of motorstorm the screen is just too small for split screen.
bunimomike
I can’t say I’m looking forward to 3DTV but if it does eventually take off, I can see this being superb fun for local multiplayer. Hell, even if it keeps the missus quiet whilst she’s playing something like Fable and I can crack on with a decent game. :-P
JuiceK
Fantastic Tech and would definitely tempt me a little more into getting 3dtv.
Phil_E
What about your third or fourth friend who wants to watch the split screen race?
Charmed_Fanatic
Nice idea, shame about the price tag!
Jas-n
Actually this is more simple that I thought, instead of syncing alternate images, (left and right, both shutters would go at the same time. Although, simulated 3D wouldn’t work at all :(. SSHD doesn’t support split-screen 3D, but put in simulated 3D mode, looks just as good, don’t know how they’d get that working.