So would you use 3D video calling capability if you had access to it? Considering how popular 3D televisions and screens are nowadays (with the exception of the hot selling Nintendo 3DS, of course, but it doesn’t have Skype built in), probably not. Still, that’s not stopping Skype from investigating the possibility.
In an interview with the BBC, Microsoft’s coprorate vice president Mark Gillett revealed that 3D calling is indeed being looked at, though we likely won’t see any launch for at least a few years.
“We’ve done work in the labs looking at the capability of 3D-screens and 3D-capture,” Gillett said. “We’ve seen a lot of progress in screens and a lot of people now buy TVs and computer monitors that are capable of delivering a 3D image. But the capture devices are not yet there. As we work with that kind of technology you have to add multiple cameras to your computer, precisely calibrate them and point them at the right angle.
“We have it in the lab, we know how to make it work and we’re looking at the ecosystem of devices and their capability to support it in order to make a decision when we might think about bringing something like that to market.”
Gillett also said Skype had “lost focus” on the product and its users, instead dealing with corporate drama resulting from its history of being bought and sold. Luckily, it looks like the service has finally found some much-needed stability in Microsoft, who is looking to include the service as the default messenger in its upcoming Windows 8.1 operating system and also recently integrated Skype into its Outlook.com email service.