I just read this article by Ben Kuchera over at Ars Technica about Nintendo’s next portable gaming device, the 3DS. Yup, Nintendo is jumping on the 3-D bandwagon. That’s not a huge shock — 3-D technology has been a big deal at the Consumer Electronic Show for the last few years and we’re starting to see that technology finally enter the consumer market.

In my mind, the two most important niches that will help 3-D technology in the short term are sporting events and video games. Having played some games in 3-D, I can see the appeal. But I hadn’t considered the possibility of 3-D games entering the portable market.

Nintendo hasn’t revealed much information about the system. We do know it won’t require the user to wear glasses. How could Nintendo manage this effect? It could feature a film over the screen that creates the 3-D effect without glasses — also known as a lenticular display. In effect, the film acts like glasses for you. But lenticular displays are finicky. And while I’ve never experienced eye strain or headaches after wearing 3-D glasses, looking at a lenticular display for more than a few minutes makes my eyes tired.

But Kuchera points out that a downloadable Nintendo DS game in Japan manages to create a 3-D effect without such a display. The game uses the sensors in the DS to track the motion of the display. The game changes your view in relation to where your eyes are. And it looks pretty cool!

Could this be Nintendo’s secret? Or will the new 3DS feature some other method to create the 3-D effect?

I’m still not sure that 3-D will become more than a novelty in the portable gaming market. I’m not even sure it will go far with traditional console games and home theater systems. But at least Nintendo is going to offer a product that won’t require additional (and expensive) equipment like 3-D glasses. I can’t wait to get my hands on one at this year’s E3 Expo.

What do you think? Is 3-D all hype or do you believe it’s the future of entertainment?