Samsung’s glasses-free 3D gaming monitor isn’t vaporware, apparently

Samsung just officially announced a glasses-free 3D gaming monitor at Gamescom after first teasing it back at CES. The Odyssey 3D uses a light field display, a lenticular lens on the front panel and eye tracking technology.

The built-in stereo camera and proprietary View Mapping technology continuously adjust the image to enhance depth perception and create that all-important illusion of 3D. The technology here is similar to how Acer handled glasses-free 3D with its Helios 300 SpatialLabs Edition laptop or the ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16, only with a much bigger form factor.

To that end, the Odyssey 3D will be available in sizes up to 37 inches. Samsung touts that users can instantly activate the 3D mechanism, or deactivate it for traditional gaming. This is good, because glasses-free 3D can be extremely finicky, going all the way back to the days of the Nintendo 3DS. The sweet spot tends to be tiny and the image typically falls on the blurry side. This is not a perfect technology.

As for traditional specs, the Odyssey 3D features a 4K QLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate. There’s a 1ms response time and support for AMD FreeSync. The monitors include a DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports on the back. The height-adjustable stand also tilts to help users find the best position for 3D. Again, glasses-free 3D is finicky and the monitor will likely require some maneuvering to get everything perfect.

This isn’t vaporware. Samsung says the monitor will be available by the end of year. However, there is the matter of price. The company remains mum on the total cost and that’s likely because it’ll be extremely expensive. Historically, Samsung Odyssey gaming monitors are pricey, and that’s without glasses-free 3D.