I Travelled Across Europe With the RayNeo Air 3s Pro — Here’s Why They Are the Right Budget AR Glasses for You

Earlier this year, the RayNeo Air 3s blew me away — especially at its $269 price tag. If you’re looking for the best pair of AR glasses without breaking the bank, these are the ones. So imagine my excitement in seeing a pro model arrive.

On first impression, I was hard pressed to find what is actually different. Design-wise, they’re basically the same, but once you put them on, you really do notice the changes. In short, the screen is brighter with improved contrast, the audio tuning definitely has a nicer, bassier sound quality, and the frames have a better balanced weight distribution.

And you’re getting these upgrades for $30 extra? Sign me up! Of course, at $299, it starts to get a little easy to let your eyes wander to more fully-featured glasses that get more consistent upgrades. But to get to something like the Xreal One, you’d have to go up an additional $100.

It’s still rather cost friendly for the tech you get, and if you’re not here for the gimmicks like spatial audio mode or watching 3D movies (very tricky to get them just right in the lenses), still bumper value for money.

RayNeo Air 3s Pro: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a pair of AR glasses — something you can plug into any USB-C compatible device and use as an external monitor in a pair of specs.
• Who is it for? The Air 3s are perfect for those looking to buy their first pair of AR glasses, with the sole purpose of saving themselves a whole lot of neck strain on long journeys.
• What does it cost? The RayNeo Air 3s Pro come in at $299, but there is a $50 coupon right now taking the price down to $249.
• What do we like? Much like the 3s, this is offering a well-rounded package at a good price. The display tech is improved, they’re more comfortable to wear, and the audio has seen a nice bass boost.
• What don’t we like? That 46-degree field of view is rather narrow compared to the competition, and the 3D movie support is good when it works…which is not that much of the time.

RayNeo Air 3s Pro: Specs

RayNeo Air 3s Pro: The ups

First flight was a relatively short one — a quick jaunt over to Cologne for Gamescom. Plugging them into my Steam Deck, MacBook and iPhone proved its power.

A portable entertainment powerhouse

When playing Persona 5 Royal, the vivid colors, bright lighting, and smooth visuals of this HuwView 2.0 headset truly stand out. Simulating a massive 201-inch screen right in front of you at 1080p, these glasses offer a truly cinematic experience.

With a 98% DCI-P3 color gamut, a 200,000:1 contrast ratio and a brighter 1,200-nit peak brightness, the picture quality is stunning. Watching a film like Casino Royale becomes incredibly immersive, and the color accuracy also makes it a reliable tool for creative work in apps like Photoshop on a MacBook Pro.

For extended use, the certified Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free technology help prevent eye strain.

In terms of picture quality, the Air 3s are impressively on par with more expensive competitors like the Viture Luma Pro — all at a lower cost.

Drop the bass

Don’t get me wrong — speakers on AR glasses are quickly drowned out. On a flight, you stand no chance, and they’re definitely not the best way to listen to the content you’re watching.

But in the moments where you want quick access to speakers on your glasses (like in the hostel I stayed in), there is an impressive level of bassy warmth coming from such tiny speakers. The whole spatial audio thing is definitely a bit of a gimmick that makes zero difference, but in terms of giving a direct oomph to your ears in quiet surroundings, they’re great.

Improved wearability

Same weight, same dimensions, and same looking like a guy who wears sunglasses indoors. The mirror front does look a little weird, but you won’t get too many second glances on a plane — AR glasses are kind of common on flights now.

But the changes here are more subtle. There is more flexibility to the arms to snap them into different angles for better wearability, and the mechanism to change the cushioned nose pads is super easy to switch out now to find the right fit for your schnoz.

This leads to improved wearability for hours on end.

RayNeo Air 3s Pro: The downs

Meanwhile, flying back, I started to experience some of the drawbacks with the Air 3s Pro.

Still no (official) way to block out the world

Yes, some people have figured out schematics so you can 3D print your own, but as an AR glasses company, surely you can just make one yourself?

Most premium glasses do this with electrochromic lenses, which you can turn on to completely blindfold yourself. Cheaper options give you a plastic lens shade to attach to the front. While it’s not surprising that the Airs don’t come with the more advanced lens tech, it’s weirdly frustrating that it doesn’t come with the lens cover.

It may be a small thing, but it’s the difference between being immersed in a film and getting distracted by that one kid having a temper tantrum in row G.

Limited viewing angle

Seeing how far AR glasses are going with a 50-60 degree field of view makes going back to 46 feel very constrained. So long as you put the display a little further ahead of you, that’s not a massive problem.

But you can indeed feel the picture a bit cramped into a letterbox view. Them’s the breaks I guess on a cheaper pair of specs.

RayNeo Air 3s Pro: Verdict

Just like before, RayNeo continues its legacy as the budget alternative to Viture and Xreal with the Air 3s Pro. The display upgrades and improvement in comfort make these a seriously good display for your tech on-the-go.

And at $299? Picture quality like this is quite a steal. You’re not getting any spatial computing fancies or 3DOF options, so don’t expect these to propel you into the future. But for the primary purpose of being a good-looking screen, they nail it.