I tried XR glasses that gave me a 200-inch screen to work on – and can’t go back

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The RayNeo Air 3S is available for $269
• These XR glasses provide advanced micro-OLED screens, dual speaker chamber design, and a 201-inch screen visual experience
• There are no light-blocking shades or electrochromic dimming capability, and productivity support is limited to native MacOS and Windows support.

more buying choices

Just about every person to whom I demonstrate XR glasses ends up buying a pair for airline travel, commuting, and Nintendo Switch gaming away from the TV dock. The only hesitancy comes when the price of the glasses is checked, but the new model from RayNeo takes away that barrier with the RayNeo Air 3S launching at just $269.

Also: I finally tried Samsung’s XR headset, and it beats my Apple Vision Pro in meaningful ways

For the past month, I have been riding the Sounder train, flying in commercial planes, and sitting on furniture in my house while enjoying movies and my Nintendo Switch on a virtual 201-inch, vibrant display. The RayNeo Air 3S is a great XR glasses option for those looking to experience a big-screen experience at an affordable price.

RayNeo provides a rigid, zippered carrying case to protect the glasses when not in use. A mesh pocket at the top of the case holds the USB-C cable that connects the glasses to your USB-C device that powers the visual experience. I connected the RayNeo Air 3S to my iPhone 16 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, MacBook Pro, Surface Pro 8, and OnePlus 13. The content on the display of these devices appeared in the glasses while audio played flawlessly through the improved speakers on the Air 3S glasses.

Images and video look fantastic

The RayNeo Air 3S sport the latest in visual technology that minimizes flickering and unstable colors that contribute to eye strain. They are certified to TUV SUD Blue Light Protection levels, meet IMAX Enhanced for 98% DCI-P3 color accuracy and more. The bottom line is that images and video look fantastic in the glasses with no blurred edges visible and brightness levels that make viewing a joy.

Also: Your Meta Ray-Bans just got a big update for free – and it feels like science fiction

RayNeo includes its new dual opposing audio chamber design in the glasses with four speakers rather than the fairly common two-speaker design. There are now two speakers on each side of the glasses intended to provide a more immersive sound experience. The audio sounds great from the glasses, and people next to you can barely hear the audio you are enjoying, along with the visual experience in the glasses.

The one gripe I have with the RayNeo Air 3S visual experience is that light comes through the front-shaded portion of the glasses in well-lit environments, even when you have content on the screens at the brightest levels. Physical light shades would help make the experience better, but these are not sold for these glasses. Virtue incorporates electrochromic dimming technology, and that is a major reason those XR glasses are my preferred option.

Comfortable setup

The frame sides have three adjustable angles to help with the fit, and the arms have plenty of flex to fit narrow or wide head sizes. There is no myopia adjustment as we see with Viture, but you can order lenses that fit into the glasses from a third party. Nose pad options are provided to help set up a comfortable setup for big-screen viewing.

Also: The best AR and MR glasses we’ve tested

The RayNeo XR iOS application lets you view spatial video stored on your iPhone through the glasses. However, the app doesn’t offer any other XR or AR experiences, and there’s no Android version available, so a good portion of users won’t be able to enjoy the same features. Additionally, while there’s no MacOS software, you can use Mirror Studio on a Windows computer for extra display options. The RayNeo Air 3S is primarily designed for video content consumption and isn’t optimized for productivity.

RayNeo has a couple of additional accessories that you should consider to enhance your XR glasses experience. These include the $180 Pocket TV device. This accessory functions as a portable Google TV device with an integrated 6500mAh battery, 64GB of internal storage, and a microSD card. If you have a Nintendo Switch, then the JoyDock accessory is a must-have at just $99. This 10000mAh battery pack serves to output Switch video and audio to the RayNeo Air 3S glasses with ease. The package includes a simple bracket that connects the JoyDock to your Switch with a nice, short USB-C to USB-C cable.

Also: Meta’s upcoming $1,000 smart glasses sound like the Ray-Bans successor I’ve been waiting for

It was a bit tough to fully recommend the RayNeo Air 2S at $399, but with the Air 3S launching at $269 and improving on the Air 2S with brighter lenses, slightly lighter weight, and improved display technology, it is easy to recommend the RayNeo Air 3S. With that significant cost reduction in the glasses, you can pick up the JoyDock and still have a few bucks left over.

ZDNET’s buying advice

The RayNeo Air 3S is one of the lowest-priced XR glasses solutions, and the company offers a couple of compelling accessories to enhance the 120-inch, big-screen experience. The visual and audio experience is fantastic, except for the ability to see through the darkened front shade in well-lit environments, and this price point makes it easy to jump into the XR glasses experience and enjoy a big-screen world right inside your glasses.

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