Nintendo warns about vision problems associated with 3D games

January 3, 2011

Gaming company Nintendo is warning kids aged six and under against playing 3D video games on its new 3DS hand-held game machine.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the company said that looking at 3D images for a long period of time may have an adverse effect on the eyesight development of young children.

In addition, SCNow.com reports that some people, regardless of age, experience nausea, headaches, blurred vision or dizziness when viewing 3D images.

The Nintendo 3DS system, which will be released in the U.S. in March, is one of the first mainstream electronic products that allows users to see images in three dimension without having to wear special eyeglasses.

Parents are being instructed to disable the machine's 3D function for kids under the age of seven.

Eye specialists tell the Wall Street Journal that despite the warning, there's no proof that 3D images seen in movies and used in games could harm a child's developing eye.

The American Optometric Association recommends that children should have a thorough optometric eye examination before the age of 3 to make sure the vision is developing properly and there is no evidence of eye disease.