I had no idea what I was missing. A TV I can wear? Really? Yes, really. The Rokid Max AR Glasses are just that. And yet they are so much more. These glasses connect directly to my phone and any gaming device I own, offering me a private and unique viewing experience unlike any other. There are several reasons why I will carry these around wherever I go for quite awhile. Let’s get to it.
Travel Companion
I hate airports, I hate airplanes, and I hate to fly. There are a multitude of reasons why, but the key ingredients are stress and fear. Illogical fear? Yes, and I need distractions to help me get through it, and noise cancelling headphones help, but they don’t solve it all. Rokid Max AR Glasses add an added layer of distraction for me. Here is why.
When I put them on, I don’t have to look down and put a kink in my neck. In fact, I can look anywhere and comfortably see the screen appear before my eyes. They can be transparent too. This means I can walk around with them on and still see my phone screen in front of my face while moving about. I imagine this is a bit like what Iron Man would see if he were running Android software in his helmet. If I want a brighter screen, I can adjust the brightness with the buttons on the glasses themselves, or I can simply put the blackout screen over the lenses.
I don’t even have to wear my Rx glasses with them. Rokid Max did us all a solid and included “myopia” adjustments for each lens. This means I can simply adjust each to the proper clarity on the fly and I can see the screen just fine without feeling the need to squint. Additionally, the Rokid Max AR glasses include sound, but I prefer to wear earbuds with them. Headphones are just way too clunky with these, and I think this could be an improvement opportunity for future iterations.
Privacy
No one else can see my screen. When I’m working on a flight or in public, I can toss these on and connect them via the lightning display port (USB-C). The screen output goes straight to the glasses. This is great if I’m working on a confidential doc or project that others just shouldn’t be privy to. Businesses may want to invest in some of these for certain employees who travel often. I actually typed part of this review wearing them. Pretty slick. Car rides make for a bit of a shaky experience depending on the road, but it’s passable.
Gaming
Rokid offers several accessories that allow for full on connection to any device. Sorry Apple users, you’ll have to pony up for an accessory to get your iPhone to connect. Many Android users may find themselves in the same boat unless their phone supports display output (Galaxy Ultra users etc). The OEM display cable is USB-C output only (which some Apple phones are now including). My personal test was with an S22 Ultra and it works flawlessly with the included cable. Surprisingly, games are great – and I can still connect a controller via Bluetooth for optimal game sessions. Paired with Xbox game pass these are sweet!
I also put gaming on the Switch and PS4 to the test. I managed to do this with a few accessories Rokid sent along for testing. Switch sports was actually a blast, but I found myself wanting a longer connection cable to play with as I tend to drag the Switch around and am worried it will break on a fall. The same issue occurs with the PlayStation. The picture is awesome though and this is a ton of fun!
Bottom Line
I have one issue with these glasses (outside of the lack of comfort with headphones). Where’s the killer app? Take away Mario/Zelda, and Nintendo may not have seen the success it once did. Microsoft depends (or used to depend) on Halo for sales of new systems. Sony’s success is owed to its commitment to great story telling and first party games. Rokid Max AR glasses need an app to make them a must have item. This is not available at the time of my test. Maybe they don’t need one?
I can use them with everything else, and the 120Hz refresh rate allows for a fairly smooth gaming experience on the aforementioned systems anyways. Regardless, I see myself using these primarily during travel. I can actually look forward to better flights and less kink in my neck as I literally sit back and watch/play whatever the heck I want. Sure, I’ll get looks, but I won’t see them. They’re probably just jealous of my setup anyways.
