Sony Warns About 3D Dangers on PlayStation 3

News
By published

3D stuff isn't good for young children's vision.

While 3D video images are the latest selling feature of entertainment, it's not ideal for everyone. Sony has now updated its terms of service with the appropriate warnings relating to the PlayStation 3's new ability to support 3D displays. It reads:

Some people may experience discomfort (such as eye strain, eye fatigue or nausea) while watching 3D video images or playing stereoscopic 3D games on 3D televisions. If you experience such discomfort, you should immediately discontinue use of your television until the discomfort subsides.

The warning of young children and 3D echos that of research relating to developmental vision.

Nintendo also told Kotaku that children younger than seven years old should be kept away from the 3DS' 3D mode.

Aside from the 3DS, which doesn't require glasses, an easy way to keep young children from viewing the 3D image is simply to keep the glasses in a safe place away from them.

Marcus Yam

Marcus Yam is a technology evangelist for Intel Corporation, the latest in a long line of tech-focused roles spanning a more than 20-year career in the industry. As Executive Editor, News on Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, Marcus was responsible for shaping the sites' news output, and he also spent a period as Editor of Outdoors & Sports at Digital Trends.

38 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Ciuy
    so....3D is bad /
    Reply
  • feeddagoat
    Ciuyso....3D is bad /
    So is everything in todays society really. If it doesn't cause cancer, it lowers your IQ or turns you into an axe wielding nutjob.

    Its more the fact that this 3D technology has only been around for a relatively short time in the mass consumer market and because we're not all exactly the same, people will react differently (phyiscally) to the new technology. After all it does "trick" you mind into perceiving 3D images rather than actually producing them like in most sci-fi films and shows. As Nintendo pointed out there is a chance 3D could harm younger children due to developing depth perception at that age tho the effects haven't yet been documented fully. If anything this is more a way of covering themselves in case any adverse long term side effects from prolonged use does do physical harm. The Nausea and headaches are the body's first warning that something isn't right. It kinda reminds me of the experiment where they used glasses that inverted the image when people looked through them. After a while the brain adapted and displayed what it was viewing correctly and when the glasses where removed the person saw everything inverted. While their view returned to normal again, who knows the effect 3D could have on your brain long term.
    TBH I guess overall this is more protection from any potential law suit. We do live in a sue happy culture.
    Reply
  • weirdguy99
    TL;DR
    Reply
  • maydaynomore
    3D RIP 07/15/2010
    Reply
  • TunaSoda
    If 3D is so bad then live the rest of your life with your eyes closed! ;)
    Reply
  • mrmotion
    Just waiting now for the first jackass to let their kid go on a 3d bender screw up his/her eye sight and blame people who had already warned him over the danger.... Let the lawsuits begin :( Idiots....
    Reply
  • dextermat
    lol just wait in a few years something better will get out:

    Do you remember when Nintedo got out:

    Warning: it may cause seizure and stuff lol
    Reply
  • gorehound
    3D viewing can cause seizures.that is a fact for some folks out there and mnaybe like me.
    i am on a prescription to stop seizures.there is no way i am sitting in my living room watching hours of 3d at a time.
    hollywood stop the remakes and write better films.we do not need more eyecandy.
    Reply
  • kikireeki
    So now we will have a new rating system for tvs, just like games!
    Reply
  • falchard
    Warning: Stereoscopic 3D diminishes from visual quality. Sony will not refund complaints from the loss of aesthetics through the use of this device.
    Reply