Eyecare Trust: "3D not causing problems"

The Eyecare Trust has told Eurogamer this afternoon that stereoscopic 3D will not "cause" eye problems.

"It's an existing disorder you have with your vision that means you're unable to view the 3D properly," charity spokesperson Rachel Robson clarified. "It's not the 3D causing a problem with your eyesight."

Yesterday, The Eyecare Trust charity revealed that more than one-in-10 people suffer from a binocular disorder that prevents comfortable 3D viewing. For those people, headaches and nausea await.

And it's not just stereoscopic 3D from a telly: Nintendo's 3DS will present users with the same problem.

"The 3D technology used in the 3DS still relies on the eyes working as a team and therefore will still present viewing problems for people with poor binocular vision," Robson revealed.

As for a remedy, "It depends on what it is you suffer from," she added. "There are a number of different conditions that lead to poor binocular vision."

"These include amblyopia, stabismus, diplopia, astigmatism and hyperopia, and treatment will vary from individual to individual."

Should you suffer from any of those and notice a headache or feeling of sickness then you should "stop using [the 3D equipment]" and "give your eyes a rest". Your next stop should be the opticians for an eye-test, said Robson.

Cautiously, Robson said she and The Eyecare Trust "don't know" about the effects of 3D on children. "We're not sure if there are any issues," she admitted, but explained that tests had been conducted, and results and conclusions were expected.

So, how worried should Sony and Nintendo and 3D television manufacturers be? 10 per cent of their audience potentially missing out should be a number for consideration.

"We couldn't comment on that at all, I'm afraid," answered Robson. "It's not our position. All we're able to say is that you have an existing problem then it poses a barrier to viewing 3D properly."

Robson also couldn't comment on whether there's scope for 3D technology to improve and pose eyes and brains with a less strenuous signal to decipher.