Sony concede that 3D TV "not hugely important" to most consumers

After years of pushing it as one of their major televisual technical innovations, Sony finally seem to be coming round to a fact that many home cinema enthusiasts have been espousing for years: we don’t care about 3D TV.

Sales figures have long backed up a lack of consumer interest in 3D TVs (with the odd inflated figure likely coming down to a lack of high-end alternatives NOT featuring 3D tech), and now Sony Computer Entertainment’s UK head Fergal Gara, speaking to Eurogamer, echoes the sentiment:

“Consumers decide how relevant [3D] is. It’s fair to say consumers have decided it’s not hugely important at this time,” he said.

“Whether you look at movies or games, wearing the glasses and consuming 3D in that way in the home isn’t hugely popular. That’s just a fact. I haven’t read detailed research on it, but the glasses will certainly be a big part of the hassle factor,” he continued.

“In the home people tune in and tune out a bit, and doing that with glasses on and glancing at your tablet or pausing for a bit, compared to the cinema experience which is a solely focused experience, you know there is a difference emerging there.”

But though Gara states there’s still not much point holding out for glasses-free 3D TV (stating that Sony “haven’t seen any killer technology” in the area), he still believes there’s a future for 3D gaming:

“It may have a bigger life a little further down the line. It’s great we can do it. It doesn’t seem to be the most powerful USP at the moment, so you’ve seen us shift our effort onto fresh new exciting IP. I’m certainly really pleased to see the strength of that as we look into next year.

“We’ve seen a resurgence really with the strength of the output from the studio network.”

Is that a hint towards a 3D gaming focus for the PS4? We certainly hope not, for the sake of our migraines. At the very least, Sony’s AV attentions seem to be turning away from 3D, and if their IFA 4K TV showcase is anything to go by, that’s a very good thing.

Via: Eurogamer