Sony’s Hocking On Why Vita Isn’t 3D

Peter Chapman 24 Comments

With Sony’s huge push for 3D gaming in the past year or so, many people were surprised that the PlayStation Vita would remain a 2D experience. Especially around the launch date of the 3DS when Nintendo were still making so much noise about the 3D on that console.

Well, in an interview with Gamespot, SCEE’s Clint Hocking has explained why the company left that extra dimension off the Vita’s feature list.

At the time we were looking at Vita, there were several issues. One was the quality of the glasses-free 3D screens. It can work very well on small screens, but to get the best effect, you need to keep your head very, very still. Now with a handheld gaming device and Vita having Sixaxis motion control in it, there may be gameplay where you’re moving the Vita around. And if you’re doing that and having glasses-free 3D, the two things don’t sit very well together.

So, the screens aren’t quite up to the standard that Sony wanted for the Vita, which has a nice crisp OLED display and they thought that moving the unit breaks the 3D effect. As a 3DS owner (and I would defend that console’s merits), that makes a lot of sense. Glasses-less 3D and tilt controls simply don’t work together and even with traditional controls, it can be tricky to keep the 3DS in its sweet spot.

Do you think the Vita will miss 3D or is it a gimmick you’re happy to do without when you’re on the move?

Source: Gamespot

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24 Comments

  1. Sensible move by Sony in my opinion. When playing the 3DS, it can be tricky to keep it “in the sweet spot” as CB says. Playing it for an hour or so locked in the same position wouldn’t be good for my arthritic arms!

    • Mixed opinion from me TBA.

      Sony comes across as the main pusher of 3D technology, but is releasing a console (handheld admittedly) that won’t have 3D technology for it’s life-cycle.

      I would have liked to have seen them add it in, but only as an option (for the user as with the 3DS, for the developer, or a mix of the two).

      I’ve got a 3DS and agree that the limitations of glasses-less 3D don’t mix too well with gaming (especially gyroscopic aiming in Zelda), but without the 3D the DS wouldn’t really have anything over the PSP – let alone the Vita.

      I can see where Sony are coming from regarding the quality of the screen though… it’s just a shame we can’t have both.

      • Actually nothing stopping them bring out a 3d version when/if the tech gets good enough. After all any 3d game needs a 2d version too.

      • Yeah that is true, but I guess the touch screen element is the main (and only) screen on the Vita, so would shoving your finger in the way detract from the 3D experience? Does it affect it in any way?

      • The 3ds screen 3d goes into the screen, so touch buttons would be at the front so I think it would be ok. Though how you do that without jolting the screen out of it’s sweet spot, I don’t know.

      • If Sony did a stylish pair of 3D passive glasses, would be good, and I’d be willing to use them… but a hell of a lot of people would moan.

        And yes the sixaxis would mess up the 3D screen (unlike the whole DualShock/SIXAXIS debate), same with the touch screen (if you have a 3DTV and have ever tried pointing to something when watching 3D, it’s very weird).

      • Putting 3D in half heartedly, like it’s there if devs want it and pushing up the price would be a terrible idea..

  2. I don’t mind about the lack of 3D, as long as the touch screen, presentation and visuals are up to a great standard it won’t matter. Also i’ve played the 3DS and really didn’t get the fuss about 3D, it didn’t impress me at all.

  3. I seem to remember Ninty saying that the reason the touch screen wasn’t 3D was because pressing the touch screen messes the 3D up and as the screen on the Vita is touch that may be another reason.

  4. I’m glad Sony went down the 2D OLED root.
    Much better to have a sharp crisp display than one which could be difficult to hit the sweet spot. I wonder how many people were put off buying a 3DS because of the reported issues with the screen.

  5. Given my eyes do not like the 3d on the 3ds, I’m very happy.

  6. Yup i rather have a cheaper price of the handheld and better gaphics :). And i’m not that fuss on having 3D on a so little screen anyway.

    • Seconded. 3D handhelds are ridicilous (3D-cellphones? Why?!), and I’d rather have higher resolution or framerate or general graphics-fancyness (additional post processing or any graphical addition that’s gimped to include an extra dimension) over 3D any day.

  7. It not being 3D is actually one of its last few selling points to me.

  8. Good choice sony. I’m happy, especially seeing the previews of the upcoming Vita games.

  9. So glad they decided against the whole 3D thing. That would have put me off.
    2D? Insta buy!!

  10. I’d rather have an OLED screen than a 3D LCD screen to keep price the same.

    3D is a gimmick on small screens.

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