Lenovo Adds Dimension to Its 27-inch Creator-Focused Monitor

Glasses-free, stereoscopic displays aren't that common, but they're still trying to find their niche for gaming and mobile workstations; both Acer and Asus offer laptops with a 3D screen and Acer has portable monitors using the technology. Lenovo's now entering the tiny arena, but with a more traditional 27-inch desktop model that's part of its ThinkVision line of business and commercial products.

The ThinkVision 27 3D Monitor is expected to cost $3,000 when it ships in January 2024. That's not cheap, but if you need it for pro design work, it's not unheard of either.

Acer has a whole subsidiary for developing the tech, SpatialLabs, and was the first to launch the concept. Asus calls its own version Spatial Vision but both models work pretty much the same way: a lenticular lens layer is bonded onto a standard display panel. Lenovo says its own was created in-house, but the implementation sounds exactly like the other two.

Like those it uses a combination of stereoscopic splitting, so the monitor is 4K normally and 3,840x1,080 per eye, along with eye tracking to determine user perspective, which is critical for proper perception. In practice, that means you generally need to sit within a specific distance range from the screen -- 23.6 to 39.3 inches (60 to 100cm), in this case -- and within a certain viewing angle. I am currently sitting 20 inches (50.8cm) from my monitor, so you can imagine it's not optimal for all.

Unlike the laptop implementations, Lenovo's has the eye tracking cameras in the bottom bezel rather than the top, though if you think about it, that probably puts them in roughly the same place relative to your eyeline. I do know when I tested the Acer that I would get a little nauseous and headachy after a while, in part because my eyes kept having to refocus.