These smart glasses create a beautiful big screen in front of your face
If you've been staring at the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses and imagining playing Robocop, you'll be disappointed to know that they don't actually have a screen. The RayNeo Air 2 XR are the direct opposite, they're nothing but screen.
Connecting via a USB-C port in the arm of the glasses, they simulate a Micro OLED 1080p, 201-inch display 6 meters away from your face, and I have to say the picture quality is impressive. It takes some getting used to (and adjusting the nose piece), and there's definitely some fringing at the boundaries of the image, but it's a great way to watch a big screen wherever you are. Whether you want to watch a movie or just work on a massive monitor, it's really impressive. The sound performance isn't quite as brilliant, but still not bad, it just leaks out a bit more than something like the Meta glasses.
That is, admittedly, provided you can get them to work. I had no problem connecting the RayNeos to my laptop, but with other devices, it wasn't so simple. The glasses arrived with an adapter called a MiraScreen Portable Adapter that I was told was necessary to make them compatible with the accompanying app, but I had a hit-and-miss time getting my phone to connect. I had no luck at all with my PS5 and a similar experience with my Nintendo Switch, although RayNeo does sell a special Switch dock to make Nintendo's console pop on the big screen (which I didn't have to hand).
Something that is easy to set up and works brilliantly on the RayNeo Air 2 glasses is PC gaming, and if you aren't near one of the best gaming monitors, this is for sure the best option you'll have in your pocket. A choice of a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate is enough to keep titles super smooth at higher FPS. While being wired does mean there are no charging worries or bulky batteries.
Having to stay plugged in is a serious obstacle to taking these glasses out and about, and so too is the design. They are probably not quite inconspicuous enough to be caught wearing around the high street (at least not in the British autumn/fall). I think they resemble the Minecraft glasses, which are fine for home use but not out in public.
In all, though, the RayNeo Air 2 are very impressive in use, but it's clear that this is still a fledgling technology. The novelty of watching a movie on your face won't wear off anytime soon, but as a genuine monitor replacement, I couldn't recommend them just yet.
The RayNeo Air 2 glasses are out now and available for $379.
