Viewsonic V3D245 review

We tested the monitor with Diablo III Beta (a top-down role-playing game rated three stars for 3D compatibility) and Just Cause 2 (a first-person shooter rated five stars). In Diablo III, the isometric view meant the painted background stayed flat, although the game designers have put in trees and overhangs to reinforce the 3D effect. However, the game’s control panels – health bar, ability bar and radar map – sit on top of the game on a separate plane, as does the game’s cursor. This makes clicking on objects or monsters in the game to target them harder, as the cursor feels detached from the game itself.

In Just Cause 2, the 3D effect was much more apparent, with no screen ‘furniture’ to get in the way. The glasses darken the image considerably, and while the 3D effect was great close-up, especially in the game’s coastal scenes where the water effects were stunning, far away scenery looked like a painted backdrop.

Films with an external 3D Blu-ray were better. Watching Avatar we noticed that each frame had a lot of detail in it and the V3D245’s fast response rates meant we didn’t see much crosstalk, where one eye sees the other eye’s image. We didn’t find the glasses particularly comfortable and the arms pinched the side of our head. It’s neat that they can be charged by USB, though, so there’s no need to replace a fiddly battery.

While this display is a step up from other 3D Vision-enabled displays we’ve seen before, as it can be used with standalone devices, the fact remains that you’re paying a hefty premium for the extra dimension. Unless you absolutely must have 3D on your PC and games console, there are better 2D only models for a lot less.