ASUS G51J 3D Hands On: 3D Done Right, For a Price

Today ASUS and Nvidia announced what they believe is the next step in digital entertainment: 3D.  We got a chance to take a look at the first notebook that will feature Nvidia’s 3D Vision technology, the $1,699 G51J 3D, a powerful gaming system that costs $200 more than the non-3D version. Is it worth the premium?

Unlike the polarized 3D screen used in the Acer 5738DG (which is software-driven, and only requires the use of polarized glasses), the G51J 3D uses a high-performance, 120-MHz dsipay–a first for any notebook–and requires a USB IR emitter and special shutter glasses that flicker on and off (though too fast for the human eye to notice). This makes the specs slightly heavier, but the reward is higher quality visuals and much better viewing angles than the cheaper Acer 3D notebook.

We were somewhat concerned that the 3D glasses wouldn’t fit over a regular pair of specs, but that wasn’t a problem. Nvidia also showed us a pair of tranparent glasses that showed the technology inside, but they won’t be for sale.

The G51J 3D sports a 15.6-inch 120Hz panel with a resolution of 1366 x 768, and will come with a 60-day trial of the 3D-enabled World of Warcraft. Expected to be available through Amazon and Newegg, the package will include the IR emitter and a pair of glasses (whose battery lasts about 40 hours, and recharges via USB). Additional glasses will cost a whopping $149 each.

At launch there will be more than 400 games that support 3D Vision, including Resident Evil 5 and Batman: Arkham Asylum. And unlike the TriDef technology that powers Acer’s 3D laptop, titles optimized for 3D vision give you a great sense of depth without negatively affecting gameplay. On first person shooters, for example, we found it difficult to aim when using the Acer 5738DG. On the Asus G51J 3D, you don’t make any compromises in terms of control or accuracy.

What’s lacking is a selection of 3D movies, although we expect that to improve over time. This ASUS notebook doesn’t have a Blu-ray drive, but we anticipate that 3D Vision notebooks will debut during the second half of next year that can handle 3D Blu-ray discs, once the spec is finalized. Eventually, 3D Vision Web browser and YouTube extensions will be made available so that consumers will be able to upload compatible 3D images to sites such as Flickr and Picasa, and view 3D videos in YouTube.

For now, the G51J 3D will likely attract gamers who are looking for a more immersive experience–and are willing to pay for it. But keep in mind that the non-3D version of this notebook has a 1080p display, so you’re trading a higher-resolution screen for an extra dimension. Stay tuned for a full review.