These $550 glasses simulate a 200" screen if plugged into your phone — but do they work? I tried them
Comfortable and versatile, the RayNeo Air 2s is (mostly) a traveler’s dream.
If you agree it’s more enjoyable to watch video content on a massive 200-inch projector than a teeny 6.5-inch smartphone, read on.
The RayNeo Air 2s are lightweight XR glasses (“extended reality”) that, when plugged into the USB-C port of your favourite device, promise to project what appears to be an IMAX-like screen onto your eyes. With four speakers (two on each arm), no one around you can hear your TV shows, movies, sports or video games, making them especially great for air travel.
Are they too good to be true? Read on for my honest review.
RayNeo Air 2s Glasses
For a limited time, Amazon Canada shoppers can save $100 on the RayNeo Air 2s XR Glasses with an Amazon coupon, bringing the price down to $450.
- Clear and bright video
- Works with several USB-C devices
- Super light to carry and wear
- Loud private audio
- Expensive
- Not “augmented reality” (despite marketing claim)
- Some minor blurring around edges
What is it?
Slightly larger than a regular pair of sunglasses, the RayNeo Air 2s can plug into virtually any USB-C device and then mirror whatever they're plugged into. Users see what looks to be a 201-inch screen from a distance of about 20 feet.
The glasses work with all models of iPhone 15 (and newer) and iPad, Android phones and tablets, Windows PC and Mac computers, video game systems like Xbox or PlayStation, and handheld gaming computers like Steam Deck or ROG Ally. Some consoles, like Nintendo Switch, require the RayNeo JoyDock (sold separately) as extra power is needed.
How it works
Inside the RayNeo Air 2s are twin Sony micro-OLED screens (1080p Full HD resolution) with 10 levels of brightness (up to 5000 nits of peak brightness).
There are three colour temperature options, and the ability to switch from 60Hz to 120Hz refresh rates, the latter of which is often preferred by gamers for smoother motion in fast-paced titles.
Because the power is taken from whatever it’s plugged into, there is no battery in the glasses that conk out after an hour or two.
On the sound front, RayNeo says these are the first XR glasses with a “Push-Push Quad-Speaker” design, bringing louder, clearer and more balanced audio, with two speakers per ear. Someone beside you won’t hear anything, making these ideal even if worn in bed, say, beside a partner, who may be watching something else on a TV or phone screen.
(If you prefer even louder private sound, you can always wear earbuds or headphones connected to your phone, tablet or laptop, be they wired or wireless).
So, does it live up to the hype?
Even before trying these glasses on, I was impressed with the small and lightweight design. While very different products, these were much more compact and portable than other head-mounted displays, like Meta Quest 3s and Apple Vision Pro. The glasses ship with a carrying case.
They're so light (76 grams), you won’t even feel these in a backpack or purse — or more importantly, on your face.
Because there’s no setup — perhaps other than adjusting the 9-point “FlexiFit” on the arms and tweaking the placement of the nose pad (with two options in the box) – it’s truly plug and play. Within a second or so of inserting the other end of the 4-foot cable into a phone, tablet, or laptop, the image magically appears.
For those who wear glasses, there’s a sample prescription-lens frame in the box you can bring to your optician to get the right script, which then slips inside of the XR glasses.
Compared to other XR glasses I’ve tried (like the Viture Pro XRs and Xreal Air 2 Pros), the RayNeo Air 2s were brighter, more colourful and with a 120Hz motion option — ideal for video games, action movies, and sports. The buttons on each arm let you tweak volume, brightness, colour, “Whisper Mode” (even more discreet audio), and other features. The interface is intuitive and only takes a minute or two to master.
Optional, but you can also buy a smaller device called Pocket TV, powered by Google TV, you can plug the glasses into to stream content over Wi-Fi (or load up TV shows and movies onto a microSD card). Battery life tops 5.5 hours, says the company, but not reviewed here.
While watching video is the primary application for these glasses, you can also read e-books, since the text looks crisp enough to read, but you’ll need to tap your phone or tablet screen to turn the page, of course.
RayNeo Air 2s XR Glasses
These glasses also give you a big screen for reading email, browsing the web, looking at photos or accessing social media feed, but since you can only see outside of the glasses a little (mostly just below the screens), you won’t be able to effectively use a touchscreen with whatever the glasses are plugged into. Don’t expect to play touch-based games, like Candy Crush or Words With Friends, while wearing these glasses. It’s more for controller-based games that you don’t need to look at to use.
If it’s a mouse or trackpad on a laptop, that works well since you can see the cursor inside the glasses.
On a related note, some other XR glasses have more transparent frames, so you can walk around with these on. Other pairs are more opaque (like a VR headset) to fully block out the real world. The RayNeo Air 2s straddles both styles, so just be aware of that.
Another limitation is some blurriness around the edges of the screen based on my testing, despite the glasses advertised as “blur-free edges,” but it wasn’t as bad as other glasses I’ve reviewed.
RayNeo Air 2s XR Glasses
Is it worth the cash?
Indeed, $550 is a lot of money to spend on consumer electronics. Heck, you can buy a 55-inch TV to mount on your wall for that price.
But for entertainment lovers who travel a lot, and want a super light and small solution that simulates a bright 200-inch screen, RayNeo Air 2s is a well-built product that really works. It can be used on virtually all USB-C devices and not just smartphones. People beside you can’t hear the audio.
Despite a few minor issues — a steep price point, some blurriness around the edges, and the fact these glasses are neither transparent nor opaque — they deliver on the promise of immersive entertainment wherever life takes you.
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