Stereo-3D (S3D) technology is hardly supported by a large number of devices today. But high-ranking executives at Nvidia believe it would become a significant improvement for the next-generation video game systems. A leading market analyst Jon Peddie tends to agree with that, but points out that initially S3D tech will be adopted by mobile phones.

“I predict that a very large proportion of new mobile phones, many appearing this winter holiday season, will have S3D glasses-free capability. In fact, I think S3D will become as common place on a mobile phone as a camera is today. Mobile phones use GPUs from Imagination Technologies, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and Vivante,” Jon Peddie, the head of Jon Peddie Research market tracking company.

At present there are two game consoles that actually support stereo-3D technology: portable Nintendo 3DS with its auto-stereoscopic 3D screen as well as Sony PlayStation 3 with its support for Blu-ray 3D and select S3D games. Even though Xbox 360 can technically support S3D, it does not at this point have appropriate firmware.

“[The Nvidia executive] was referring to the Nintendo 3DS. However, that device, which is glasses-free, uses a graphics engine designed by DMP (Digital Media Professionals) In Tokyo. The Sony PS3, which uses a Nvidia GPU, has a Blu-ray player and a HDMI I/O. Sony has posted an update to the machine (download) that raises the HDMI port to 1.4 so it can drive TVs with 120/240 Hz refresh for S3D using glasses. Neither Nintendo's Wii nor Microsoft's Xbox360 (both using ATI graphics) can do S3D. The next gen PSP, which has a GPU designed using Imagination Technologies IP, will not do S3D either. So his statement although accurate is limited - 33% of home consoles can do S3D, 25% of hand consoles can do S3D,” explained Jon Peddie, the head of Jon Peddie Research market tracking company.

Future game consoles, however, will most likely support stereo-3D ouput.

“We have yet to hear about/from Microsoft and Apple as to whether they will come out with a handheld console. I would expect that either one of them did it would be S3D capable. Rumors continue to circulate about a next generation consoles from Microsoft (sometimes referred to as the "720") and if Microsoft does come out with a third generation (for them) console I'm sure it will have S3D capability,” added Mr. Peddie.

Tags: JPR, Stereo 3D, Nvidia, ATI, AMD, Geforce, Radeon