Optics company to release prescription 3D glasses

If you currently wear glasses, watching a 3D movie in theaters will soon be as simple as just looking at the screen.

Gunnar Optiks has already won over a niche group of geeks with a pair of glasses designed to reduce eye strain when looking at computer or TV monitors. Now, it has a solution for 3D geeks.

Available today, it has launched a pair of RealD 3D glasses for $99. RealD is the technology used in most movie theaters, so now consumers can just come into the theater with their own glasses. That means no risk of germs, and a better viewing experience.

So the glasses do not work with the new 3D TV technology, and given that theaters do give out their own glasses, albeit very cheap ones, this is still going to be a niche market.

Gunnar currently offers two frames to go with the glasses: the “Phenom” and the “Anime,” each of which are $99, with more options to be available in the coming months.

The more interesting part of today’s product announcement is that Gunnar is also working on incorporating the 3D lens into prescription lenses as well. It expects to have these prescription 3D glasses available by the end of the year.

Glasses-free 3D is certainly a long way away from theatrical movies, but with Gunnar’s innovation, at least those people who already wear glasses can have a seamless 3D experience.