3D Gaming Monitors have become scarce over the years since the tech belongs to a highly-specific niche which did not catch on with the rest of the world. But unknown to most, there are still notable products which offer functionality for this genre.
If you are the type of gamer who is still interested in 3D, these are the remaining available 3d gaming monitors you can buy today.
3D-Ready Versus 3D; What is the Difference?
There are two types of 3D Gaming Monitors that came out when the tech rose to popularity in 2013. 3D-Ready monitors are the only ones left standing because of their versatility.
These types of 3D Gaming Monitors are essentially just 120Hz or faster displays which have distinct similarities with the popular high-performance products we can buy today. They use stereoscopic technology to work with a 3D Vision 2 Kit to project images in this manner.
These products are also called Active 3D Gaming monitors because they use a powered pair of glasses which have alternating shutters to show the eyes the corresponding images to take effect. You also need to have an infrared projector in front of you for everything to work. The 3D Vision 2 kit above is an excellent example of this type of gadget.
The products labelled with 3D only are also known as passive 3D gaming monitors since they already include an emitter which eliminates the need for a 3D Vision 2 Kit. You only need a polarized pair of glasses like those you use in 3D theaters, and the two lenses filter two images to each eye to create the effect.
The downside of these products is they reduce the resolution in half, so you only see 540p instead of 1080p. They are also phased out for quite some time, since they did not garner much support due to the deal-breaking limitations they presented.
Are 3D Gaming Monitors Great for Competitive Gaming?
To answer the question frankly, yes, but only the 3d-ready versions. This type of monitors usually already have a spec of 120Hz or more for 3D Vision to function, so they are also good for competitive gaming since they have responsive screens which also helps to solve motion blur.
Apart from the high refresh rate, you also get strobing backlight technologies like Nvidia’s ULMB (Ultra Low Motion Blur) which tunes the pulse of the LED backlight in between frames to reduce blurring which is a big issue for competitive gaming.
Apart from these features, most 3D gaming monitors are also premium products so they offer improved ergonomics, build quality, plus a few gamer-centric extras like an aggressive design and genre-specific presets all made to enhance your experience.
The Best 3D Gaming Monitors Available Today
1. Asus ROG Swift PG278QR
The Asus ROG Swift PG278QR is our best overall gaming monitor for a lot reasons such as its 165Hz refresh rate, G-Sync compatibility, robust design and an input lag rating of less than 4ms which makes it a favourite among enthusiasts. The PG278QR still uses a TN panel, but its color performance is mostly outstanding after a few necessary tweaks.
But surprisingly, even if the Asus ROG Swift PG278QR is a recent refresh of the acclaimed PG278Q, this newer iteration still carries compatibility with Nvidia’s 3D Vision 2. You will need the kit we mentioned above for it to fully function as a 3D gaming monitor, but even if you don’t, the Asus ROG Swift PG278QR is one of the best displays your money can buy.
2. Acer GN276HL
The Acer GN276HL is one of the few surviving 3D Gaming monitors which came from the era of its proliferation. By today’s standards, this option is obsolete especially when you look at its Predator counterparts. But for its current price, its difficult to argue with its 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and 27-inch form factor.
With these nifty characteristics, you also get Nvidia’s Lightboost technology which acts as a backlight strobe to help reduce blurs. Even if this product does not offer all the goodies its newer brethren possess, the GN276HL still has that gamer-centric touch in both form and function to satisfy your gaming desires.
3. Asus VG248QE
For a time, the Asus VG248QE 3D gaming monitor held the crown of the best across a variety of review sites simply because it is one the first few products to implement 144Hz gaming natively and respectably. It’s fast refresh rates and responsive TN panel still makes it a contender especially for budgeted enthusiasts since it sells for a lot lower than it used to at retailers.
Looking at this product today, you can see that it offers the bare essentials for an excellent experience at such a friendly price. Like all the products listed here, this model is Nvidia 3D Vision ready and requires the use of a 3D Vision 2 Kit so you can avail of the immersive properties of 3D gaming.
4. Acer GN246HL
If 27 inches is too much for your tastes but the design, function, and affordability of the Acer GN276HL above speaks to you, then the Acer GN246HL is an excellent option for you. Like its competitor from Asus, the VG248QE, this model is also one of the pioneering screens with 144Hz capabilities making it suitable for competitive gaming.
Along with its Nvidia 3D Vision feature, you also get Lightboost to further solve motion blur in fast-paced action. The Acer GN246HL came from a forgotten era of gaming, but its looks are still attractive for enthusiasts of today thanks to the red and black theme, reasonable bezels, plus its slim figure.
Thoughts
Upon reading this guide, you may ask why there are no passive 3d gaming monitors and only a few 3D-ready displays on the list? We hate to disappoint those who want to get into this niche but 3D gaming died a long time ago when users saw how the higher refresh rates could be utilized in a much more convenient and comfortable way.
3D gaming produced issues like heavy strain on the eyes which induced headaches, resolution degradation, cost plus inconvenience of the requirements, etc. The faster screens instead gave birth to the focus on competitive gaming, which currently holds the crown as the most interesting market for both gamers and manufacturers.
Naturally, the big brands and game developers steered away from these types of products and focused on providing higher resolutions, products with adaptive sync technologies, plus advancements in enhancing images. Also, as time passed by, some of the products which had compatibility are slowly getting phased out. But thankfully, there are a few remaining 3D gaming monitors which have withstood the test of time.
Donnie Hogan says
can it hook up to 3 monitors and setup in the surround spanning?
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Donnie! As long as you have the necessary ports on your GPU and its powerful enough, there shouldn’t be any issues.
Andy Radulescu says
ROG SWIFT PG278QR
Does it actually support 3D Vision 2?
I haven’t seen anything about it saying it supports 3D Vision? Instead, its older brother ROG SWIFT PG278Q, clearly stated it supports 3D Vision, unfortunately it isn’t available anymore.
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Andy! 3D vision isn’t built into the PG278QR so you need to buy the kit (IR emitter and glasses). You can then set it up via Nvidia Control Panel. Cheers!
Andy Radulescu says
Yes, that is what I meant. I do have the 3D Vision 2 kit.
So it works just like all 3D Vision monitors, then? I’m only asking because I saw it has Display Port connections, and I have 3x Acer GN246HL which only have DVI connections to be used in 3D. I have 2 GTX 1080s SLI, which means 2 of my monitors are through DVI, while the other had to be through an Active DP to DVI adapter, which does work in 3D Surround, but causes many issues because it’s not a native connection. Having 3x ROG SWIFT PG278QR through Display Port would eliminate the issue of using one of those DP to DVI adapters. That is why I plan to replace all my monitors with 3 PG278QRs eventually 🙂
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Andy! No, we have not tested the Asus PG278QR with the 3D Vision 2 kit since we don’t have it on hand, but its a well-documented feature by other reviewers. I’m also using an Asus PG278QR at the moment, so I can tell you that the ability to set it up is there via Nvidia Control Panel. I just tested if the wizard will launch and it did, so it’s safe to assume that the compatibility mentioned by our research and other articles are 100% accurate.
It’s worth noting that the PG278QR did not receive drastic changes in functionality compared to the PG278Q, save for the ability to overclock the refresh rate. It just isn’t as advertised in the PG278QR’s marketing because 3D Vision isn’t popular these days as it was before.
Lars Sorensen says
Thanks for questions and input. I hope some of you can help with a confirmation here … I am looking at getting a larger 32+ inch monitor and still want to play 3D. From this discussion it sounds like I can choose any monitor with >120 hz as long as I have a IR-emitter. Is this correctly understood ?
Currently I have the ASUS VG278 Nvidia certified monitor with glasses only, so I have no experience with the IR-emitter.
BTW I am tempted at these monitors – though some of them carry a pricetag that works best if you recently divorced Jeff Bezos.
Samsung C32HG70
Acer Predator Z35P
Alienware AW3418DW
LG 32GK850G (comes april ’19)
https://monitornerds.com/best-gaming-monitor-for-you-144hz-1440p-gsync-freesync-4k/
Thanks for the article!
Lars
Paolo Reva says
Hi, Lars! As far as we know, the monitor needs to be specified to work with 3D vision for the best experience. Theoretically, it should work, but some monitors do not meet the criteria set by Nvidia’s 3D Vision technology such as higher gray to gray response times, so the resulting 3D images might have massive amounts of crosstalk or delay.
Charles E says
Yeah me too. Played Arkham City then watched Ready Players One tonight. Such an awesome experience. 1080@120 in 3D seems just as clear as 4K. I just can’t understand why they did away with this????
Paolo Reva says
Hey, Charles! It wasn’t massively popular like the manufacturers and devs expected, so it wasn’t as profitable. That’s why they dropped it and pursued other technologies such as G-Sync and FreeSync.
Alex says
Yesterday I just played again in 3D and it is awesome! sad sad seeing this disappear little by little.
Paolo Reva says
Hey, Alex! We agree! 3D gaming is a completely unique experience that anyone would love to enjoy once in a while.