Nintendo files patent for 3D gaming on televisions

Nintendo might have ditched the 3D gaming for the 2Ds and the Switch, but it seems that the company is ready to let go the technology. A new patent application hints that the company might bring 3D gaming to your TVs.

Published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office on January 24, the patent comes under the moniker "Eye Tracking Enabled 3D Viewing." The filing was done back in September 2018 and aims to provide a device that can deliver 3D viewing angles.

The new patent seems to be a follow up to the one filed back in 2010, details the issues 3D viewing has faced while running on TVs. Nintendo might use an eye-tracking device that will be placed on top of the display, allowing it to track the user's eye movement and deliver a 3D image.

To make the experience even better, users will have to wear a marker on their head. The images shown in the patent filing shows a small marker on the user's head, though it looks small in size and wouldn't cause a problem while playing.

"Viewpoint movement detection can provide collision-related game logic benefits such as allowing a player to dodge projectiles, giving a game character an ability to 'see' the player when not behind line-of-sight obstacles, and other advantages," the patent explains.

Well, there's no certainty whether the device will make it to the production stage. As with many patents, this might also get lost in the crowd. Major companies often patent new technologies, but not all of them really take off. Let's hope that Nintendo is seriously considering the new 3D gaming tech.