The software aspect of the Revelator, much like every other piece of 3D software Elsa has made, is impressive and powerful. From within any D3D game, you can change the levels of 3D separation, image depth, and how the Z-buffer is used to calculate the 3D image you're looking at. There is a histogram that shows you the various Z-buffer usage going on, which helps you adjust the settings. This all allows you to improve the image you see to suit your own preferences and eyes. We were able to make minor improvements, but overall, the stock setting was quite good and effective in every game we tested. There is even an automatic Z-buffer setting, which automatically adjusts the 3D image from scene to scene within a game to optimize it.
The disappointing thing is that there is no OpenGL support, so you can't use the Revelator with Tribes or Quake. However, Elsa has told us that they're working on a Quake 3 Arena driver and it should be out within the next week or so. Also, there is a noticeable speed hit from using the Revelator due to the computer having to render two separate viewpoints, so if you're really pushing your hardware to play at a high resolution, you may have to drop one resolution to keep the same performance. But if the specific game gets a good boost from the Revelator, the speed hit is absolutely worth it. In fact, twice the speed hit would still be worth it. Also, no GeForce based card other than the Erazor X and Erazor X^2 are listed as being supported, so if you have another GeForce, contact Elsa to make sure your card is compatible.
The hardware aspect of things is a mixture of good and bad. The IR emitter is easy to set up and comes with a cord long enough to allow easy positioning on your monitor. The glasses work just as advertised, but they're not adjustable and uncomfortable for long periods of time. I have glasses (near sighted as can be), and while I can use the Revelator with the glasses on, they don't seem designed for such use. But remember, not everyone has a nose as pronounced as mine, or glasses for that matter, so your experience may vary. We do recommend you try them on before buying and we do wish they were adjustable. But the Revelator works, it works well, it's built well, it's slick looking, and we like it.
Overall, the Elsa 3D Revelator is a worthwhile add-on to a game machine. It enhances the 3D effect of D3D games with what can be some amazing looking results. It's not going to enhance your gaming abilities or help you get more frags, but it makes things look prettier, which really adds to the fun. If you want to spice up your gaming, the Elsa 3D Revelator will do the job better than spending an extra hundred bucks on a force-feedback joystick.
Jon Simon
Assistant Editor