Last week Nintendo warned that children under the age of six may damage their eyes when playing with the company’s new 3D games console. But is there any real cause for concern? The warning was in spite of the fact that the new device offers the 3D experience without needing the special glasses, just as Toshiba’s latest TV set does, which is set to be unveiled later this week at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Nintendo 3DS, which is due to be released next year, will give users the option of playing in 3D as opposed to the conventional 2D picture. But in a statement on Nintendo’s website, the company cautioned that children under the age of six who use the new 3D functionality could suffer from stunted eye development as a result. The warning echoes similar caution from Samsung earlier last year, which highlighted the potential dangers 3D technology posed to pregnant women, the elderly, children and people with serious medical conditions, just ahead of its 3D TV sets going on sale in the UK. In April 2010 the Korean manufacturer said that the devices, which unlike the new Toshiba sets and the Nintendo 3DS require special glasses, could trigger epileptic fits or cause ailments ranging from altered vision and dizziness to nausea, cramps, convulsions and involuntary movements such as eye or muscle twitching.

Is 3D technology safe for children?