Is 3D making a comeback? ASUS announces two new 16-inch notebooks with 3D OLED displays (Updated)
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Is 3D making a comeback? ASUS announces two new 16-inch notebooks with 3D OLED displays
Note: This article was first published on 5 January 2023 and has been updated with our hands-on experience and video. We have also included preliminary availability details.
If you have been following the tech scene for long enough, you'll know that 3D notebooks were all the rage about 12 or so years ago (like this Toshiba Qosmio F750). Now, it seems like they could be making a comeback because ASUS has announced not one, but two new notebooks with 3D displays. ASUS achieved this by adding two extra screen layers to help achieve glassless 3D capability where there's a lenticular filter (just like glassless 3D TV solutions from a decade back), plus an additional liquid crystal layer. Check out our firsthand encounter with it:-
@hwztech Asus Spatial Vision technology delivers unbelievably good glasses-free 3D! #ces #ces2023 #asus #proart #studiobook #3d #lenticular #glassesfree3d #oled #hwzsg #zachdoesces #fyp ♬ Innovation - AShamaluevMusic
ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED (H7604)
The first of the two is the ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED, which, ASUS claims, is the world's first 3D OLED creator mobile workstation.
The highlight is obviously the display. It's a glasses-free 3D display that uses a 120Hz OLED panel and has a resolution of 3200 x 2000 pixels. Being glasses-free means users need not wear glasses or headsets to be able to see the 3D effect.
As mentioned above, the 3D effect is achieved by adding a thin layer of lenticular lenses in the display. ASUS claims there's no drawbacks to this extra layer and from our short experience with the notebook, it appears that their claims are spot on.
To ensure top-notch 3D visuals, the notebook uses its dual front-facing cameras to track your eyes and adjusts the display accordingly. However, this also means that only one user will be able to enjoy the 3D effect to its fullest potential at any one time. It also means the 3D effect is impossible to capture on camera since the notebook needs to detect human eyes to work its magic.
The 3D effect is palpable and certainly realistic enough even without wearing any specialised googles. And when the display switches back to 2D mode, it looks just like any other high-quality OLED display.
ASUS says its OLED displays are ideal for this type of 3D application because the technology essentially splits the screen into two zones (one for each eye) so image brightness and screen resolution is halved. However, the OLED display's high resolution and brightness levels help mitigate this.
To ensure smooth 3D visuals, the notebook is powered by Intel's newest Core i9-13980HX processor with an NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. The notebook can also be equipped with up to 64GB of memory and up to 8TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.
These components are cooled by ASUS' IceCool Pro thermal technology,which helps ensures optimal performance and quietness.
And in terms of connectivity, creative professionals will be happy to know that there are two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps USB-A ports, an SD Express 7.0 card reader (up to 985MB/s), and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port.
ASUS also says that a version with a conventional 2D OLED display will be available later this year.
ASUS Vivobook Pro 16 3D OLED (K6604)
The second 3D notebook is the Vivobook Pro 16 3D OLED. Like the above-mentioned ProArt Studiobook 16 3D OLED, this notebook also has a 16-inch glasses-free 3D display with a fast 120Hz OLED panel. The way it works and delivers its 3D visuals is identical to the ProArt Studiobook. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get hands-on time with this model.
Under the hood, it can also be equipped with Intel's newest Core i9-13980HX processor with up to 64GB of memory and up to 2TB of fast PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD storage.
Graphics duties are handled by the an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU. It has a MUX switch that allows users to completely bypass the integrated graphics.
ASUS' IceCool Pro thermal technology allows the components to fully realise their maximum performance potential.
Availability and pricing
Clearly, the two are quite similar but it's reasonable to expect the Vivobook version to cost less because the Vivobook series is, after all, ASUS' lineup of more affordable noteboks.
ASUS has yet to confirm pricing but we were told that we can expect these notebooks to be available sometime in Q3 2023.
