Japanese business publications, “Nikkei,” and “Asahi,” report that the Nintendo 3DS will utilize a parallax barrier to achieve a naked eye 3D effect. The barrier divides the light from the pixels through a series of fine slits, so that each eye receives a different image. The two images received by our eyes converge to create 3-dimensional shapes in our brains, just like how we see real 3D objects.
One problem with this technology is, it has a limited viewing angle. It’s not very practical on say, a television screen, which could have several viewers. It only works if a single viewer has the screen facing directly toward him/her. However, since most people don’t hold their handhelds at funny angles when they play, it probably won’t be much of a problem for us gamers.