If I want to game on a flight, I typically have two options. Either I hold a device, like my phone, Switch, or Steam Deck, in my hands and crane my neck to watch it, or prop it on the tray table, hoping the seat in front won’t abruptly recline (which it usually does). Neither is comfortable for long. On the last trip, however, I had a third: a wearable display, called the RayNeo Air 4 Pro, and it may have finally made gaming fun on the go.
The TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro may look like a pair of smart glasses, and though they are often labelled interchangeably as AR or XR ones, they are kind of neither. Yes, they project digital content in your field of view, but no cartoons or app icons will be superimposed in your room. A more apt description for them would be a head-mounted TV, or as some put it, “headphones for your eyes.” You put them on, and suddenly it’s as if you have been teleported to an empty movie hall, staring alone at a large, cinema-grade screen, unbeknownst to the people around you.
The latest generation of TCL’s glasses doesn’t offer a significant upgrade over its predecessor, but it does add a handful of meaningful changes that can elevate the viewing experience. Most notably, there’s now support for an industry-first HDR10 and improved Bang & Olufsen speakers, all while being half the price of its competitors at $299. And after streaming countless movies and games on them, it could be the new wearable display to beat.
TCL RayNeo Air 4 Pro – Design and Build
At the outset, the RayNeo Air 4 Pro’s all-black look and compact, Wayfarer-esque form factor help it pass as any regular pair of sunglasses. Part of the reason is the glossy, reflective cover plate on the front, which prevents outside light from entering your vision. It’s only when you unfold it that you notice the tech it hides.
The temples, for starters, house the speaker grilles, controls for the display and volume, and the USB-C port, and are far thicker than your standard shades. They can be adjusted to one of three vertical angles to align the screen with your eyes, but I and the few people who put them on were fine with the out-of-the-box settings.
The core circuitry of glasses lies inside the thick bar touching your forehead. Under that, you’ll find angled prisms that are designed to reflect displays embedded in the frame’s top. There’s even a nose pad, and another in the box should the default size not fit you. If you opt for a prescription, this is also where those lens inserts will slot in.
