X3D (Extreme 3d system)

[Reaperman]

X3D, aka the 'Extreme 3d system,' aka 'X-Treme 3d Gaming' is a windows PC-based 'shutterglasses and crapware' ecosystem. I vaguely remember seeing the mini-cds marketed at the electronics-department checkout lanes back in the early aughts. 

 

Truly, I'm a sucker for shutterglasses, since they almost always work great.

I haven't tried these yet, but I'm reasonably sure the effect will be somewhere between fine and awesome. 🤞

But really, my fun with this is probably making this post. 😂

 

I've gone nearly all-in on the setup with 2 different starter packs, and about half of the mini-cds.  A 3rd starter pack was  star trek bridge commander themed one, but ebay wanted ~$40 for it.  Nuts to that. I got the others at $11 & $14. ($15 item that does that watched-item discount offer)

At least it's cheap.

 

The hoard, and the starter pack that got away.

(embiggen)

 

 

and yes, that ebay countertop retail display does have my eye.

(embiggen)

 

Here's what's in a mini-cd (that somehow missed being in the groupshot above). It includes a listing of all the available titles.  Some of the ebay ones come with folded red/blue 3d glasses, but mine don't:

(embiggen)

(embiggen)

 

Anyway, here's what the under the flap looks like, as well as what's included with the newer of the two starters. It has more games than the other one--quite a lot of games, actually:

(embiggen)

 

 

(embiggen)

Software closeup and game list:

(embiggen)

Games:

X3D Cycling Manager

X3D Action and Simulation Collection

• Karpov X3d Chess
• Pantball Heroes
• Speed Thief
• Roller Coaster World
• Ring Riker
• Magacity Challenge
• X3D Model Trails
• Midnight Racing

X3D Kids Game Collection

• Christmas Magic
• X3D AxySnak
• X3D Marbles
• X3D Crazy Minigolf
• X3D Parg
• X3D Toyland Racer

 

So how do the games look!?

 

 

Edited August 12, 2023 by Reaperman

[Reaperman]

Don't waste your time trying one of these on winXP (like I just did), it was made for 95/98/ME. 

It's looking for very specific Nvidia hardware, at the base install. And the games are looking for very specific Nvidia stereo drivers.

 

I'm sure my dell laptop's driver support goes well back into that era for my hardware, but building an HDD up for 98SE is out of scope for this weekend. 

 

I'd hoped slightly more modern hardware would be fine as long as I had the accompanying Nvidia stereo driver--not the case. Also good on nvidia's winxp 3d drivers for supporting stereo at all for mobile cards. Laptop docked to a crt with shutterglasses is quite the edge case.

 

I will say that I was getting somewhat decent stereo at the X3D install menu's test function, and also the X3D systray icon's test function. So the way the games detect for it is what's broken. I even tried to force shutterglasses from the nvidia profile system.

 

The four games I tried all ran, but just wouldn't do 3d. Nor did any of them have options for anaglyph 3d, but maybe there were newer software builds for the ones that came with red/blue glasses.

Edited August 13, 2023 by Reaperman