While everyone was having a great time at Nintendo's big 3DS showcase in Tokyo a couple of weeks ago, some people weren't having the greatest time afterwards, with a Japanese magazine reporting widespread cases of discomfort after use.
Weekly tabloid magazine Friday claims that, having interviewed a range of people during and after the event, a majority of users reported signs of dizziness and/or eye fatigue, and quickly turned off the handheld's 3D features. While it was reported that holding both yourself and the 3DS completely still alleviated this somewhat, it still didn't take long for discomfort to set in.
"After playing for ten minutes, I started feeling a little dizzy", the author of the Friday article writes. "It was like being seasick".
Another user, a 30-something male, said after a minute's play "I can't bear it". Playing in 3D made his eyes "tired", so he had to play in 2D instead.
Then, in this video by respected news outlet Nikkei, a man interviewed complains that after five minutes of playing Resident Evil his eyes "got tired" (though everyone else interviewed was very impressed!).
It's important to note that this is all anecdotal. It's not hard science. And the 3DS has been played by large groups of people elsewhere previously without reports like this. So bear that in mind!
写真週刊誌『フライデー』の記者が『ニンテンドー3DS』をプレイして船酔い状態に [Getnews]
Disclosure: Friday magazine is published by Kodansha, which also publishes Brian Ashcraft's books Arcade Mania and Schoolgirl Confidential.