These XR glasses gave me a 200-inch screen to work with – and the price is hard to beat

RayNeo Air 3s Pro AR glasses

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The RayNeo Air 3s Pro is available for $249 for a launch special, with a regular price of $299.
• These XR glasses have advanced micro-OLED screens, 20 levels of brightness, and a 201-inch screen visual experience.
• There is no electrochromic dimming capability, and productivity support is limited to native MacOS and Windows.

As a train commuter and regular business traveler, XR glasses have become one of my most essential travel accessories for working (and entertainment) on the go. The issue is their cost: some advanced XR glasses are well over $500, making them a rather inaccessible product. Thankfully, the folks at RayNeo offer a very capable pair of glasses with the RayNeo Air 3s Pro for half that price.

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I’ve been riding the train, flying on a plane, and laying back in a recliner with the RayNeo Air 3s Pro for a few weeks, and compared to the Air 3s model I tried previously, the Pro provides increased brightness, advanced audio algorithms for improved sound, and the latest display technology with six color modes. In short, they’re a improvement. 

There is one feature I miss on these glasses, however. Most flagship XR glasses have electrochromic dimming technology to bring the brightness down on your surroundings, and the Air 3s Pro does not have this capability. However, the glasses do support light shades so you can easily block out light from the front of the glasses with a simple snap on piece included in the box. 

Most of my time with the glasses was spent with the shade in place, since it is easy enough to lift your head and peak under the glasses if you need to see your surroundings. The light shade provides even better contrast than the dimming technology and it’s a low tech simple solution.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

With 20 levels of brightness available via the toggle button, the display was always visible to me in every lighting condition. I rarely turned up the brightness all of the way since the ¾ level offers plenty of light for viewing. The glasses also have the RayNeo HueView 2.0 feature that is a multi-layer optical coating to reduce glare, resulting in a truly awesome visual experience. 

In terms of audio, the four speakers incorporate a new spatial audio algorithm for surround sound that’s one of the best I’ve heard on XR glasses. While I use noise-cancelling headphones with the glasses on flights, it’s nice to just use the speakers from the glasses while commuting and working and playing at home.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

The RayNeo Air 3s Pro glasses are also very light at 76 grams, so I’m consistently able to wear them multiple hours at a time. The weight is well balanced between the front and rear so there isn’t any pressure on my nose or ears. The sides of the frames can also be easily adjusted to fit. Custom lens inserts can also be purchased if you have a prescription.

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One element I love about the RayNeo experience is the additional accessories available to enhance the XR experience. The well-designed JoyDock serves as a dock and external battery for both a Nintendo Switch and the glasses. It’s a smart solution, since nothing beats using a Switch with XR glasses. 

The Pocket TV is an Android-based portable media hub that lets you take media content with you and enjoy movies and shows without draining your smartphone battery. I highly recommend both of these accessories with the RayNeo Air 3s Pro.

Matthew Miller/ZDNET

I mentioned that I am productive with the glasses and while there is no special Windows or Mac software for the glasses, the native display settings in these computers support connecting the glasses and mirroring or extending your display. This means I don’t have to worry about being limited to a single small display while traveling and working from a laptop when I wear the RayNeo Air 3s Pro.

Also: 5 Meta Ray-Ban upgrades I want to see on September 17

ZDNET’s buying advice

The RayNeo Air 3s Pro is one of the lowest-priced XR glasses available, and the company offers compelling additional accessories to enhance the 201-inch big screen experience. If you are looking to try out XR glasses, the Air 3s Pro is a great option for $250. Try it with your phone, tablet, Nintendo Switch, or laptop, and enjoy a big screen in the form of small, light glasses.