Quad buffering is a technology for implementing stereoscopic

Stereoscopy

Stereoscopy refers to a technique for creating or enhancing the illusion of depth in an image by presenting two offset images separately to the left and right eye of the viewer. Both of these 2-D offset images are then combined in the brain to give the perception of 3-D depth...

 frame rendering in computer graphics

Computer graphics

Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....

. For stereoscopic rendering, each eye must receive a separate image. Quad buffering uses double buffering

Double buffering

In computer science, multiple buffering is the use of more than one buffer to hold a block of data, so that a "reader" will see a complete version of the data, rather than a partially-updated version of the data being created by a "writer"...

 with a front buffer and back buffer for each eye, totaling four buffers:

• Left front buffer
• Left back buffer
• Right front buffer
• Right back buffer

Similarly to the V-sync in 2D mode, quad buffering allows to swap the front and back buffers for both eyes in sync, allowing the display to seamless work with different rendering frame rates.

Quad buffering requires special support by the graphic card and is therefore not available on many low-cost models.

3D standards like OpenGL

OpenGL

OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...

 and Direct3D

Direct3D

Direct3D is part of Microsoft's DirectX application programming interface . Direct3D is available for Microsoft Windows operating systems , and for other platforms through the open source software Wine. It is the base for the graphics API on the Xbox and Xbox 360 console systems...

 support quad buffering.
AMD's HD3D exposes the Quad buffer for Game and Software developers allowing native 3D, an open HD3D SDK is available. Although, for now, only DirectX 9, 10 and 11 are supported .