One surprise that Sony pulled out of its hat at the E3 expo this week was the announcement of a 3D display specifically designed for the PS3 owners. But at $499, does it represent a good buy for gamers?
The set represents a bit of an oddity in that its size may be common for a PC monitor, but not so much as a hub for your console gaming. For instance, there are other 24-inch monitors available with LED-backlighting and 3D capabilities for around $100 less than $499, though these tend to rely on passive 3D technology, whereas the Sony display comes with a pair of active-shutter glasses. Active 3D offers better 3D image quality, especially for the fast-action games buyers of a PS3-branded screen would be playing.
Likewise, you could move up to a 32-inch 3D HDTV like the Vizio E3D320VX, currently $478 at Amazon.com, but again, it comes with passive glasses, not active-shutter specs. To get a 32-inch 3D set with active 3D, you’d pay $900 for the Sony Bravia KDL-32EX720.
The PlayStation TV also rolls out Sony’s special two-player mode, which lets a pair of gamers see unique versions of the screen in a multiplayer game, though that would require an additional $69.99 pair of the 3D glasses. It’s obviously a feature that you won’t currently find on any other monitor, though it’s worth will be tied to how well its ultimately implemented. In addition, Sony bundles a copy of Resistance 3, which will be launched around the time this screen will be and is obviously a 3D game.
The PlayStation display doesn’t appear to be outlandishly priced versus the rest of the market, so ultimately its worth comes down to this question: Do you want to play PS3 games in 3D badly enough to play on a 24-inch display, or can you live without 3D and game on a bigger HDTV? Which would you choose? Let us know in the Comments section.
