AR glasses have made quite the splash at CES 2024. From XREAL to TCL, the Mashable team has stumbled upon some spectacular spectacles that will likely get wider adoption from the masses in a few years time.
The Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are decent if you’re looking for an extension of your phone that sits on your eyes. However, if you’re actually seeking true AR — immersive spectacles that can overlay digital artifacts over your real-world environment — check out these top three AR smart glasses of CES 2024.
The best of CES 2024
1. TCL RayNeo X2 Lite
The TCL RayNeo X2 Lite AR Glasses are a successor to the TCL RayNeo X2 spectacles. Like the name suggests, they’re lighter and more comfortable than the previous version — so much so that TCL claims that it’s the world’s lightest full-color AR glasses.
Mashable’s Cecily Mauran tries on the RayNeo X2 Lite smart glasses
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
The X2 Lite has an AI Smart Assistant that lets you have fluid conversations with it. Plus, it includes 3D map navigation and real-time translation for up to eight languages. I found the last one to be the most interesting for me personally. As someone who travels frequently, I often find myself in situations where language barriers hinder my vacations.
I tested the real-time translation feature with the RayNeo rep at CES 2024. She was speaking Korean with me and I was blown away by how I could see the transcription of what she was saying — right before my very eyes — in English. However, this will only work smoothly if other speakers aren’t in earshot. Other conversations can “confuse” the transcription process.
2. XREAL Air 2 Ultra
The XREAL Air 2 Ultra smart glasses debuted at CES 2024 with a new striking feature: six-degrees-of-freedom.
In other words, unlike its predecessors (e.g., these XREAL glasses we reviewed), the XREAL Air 2 Ultra lets you physically walk around in a simulated environment instead of being stuck in one place, not moving anything but your head.
XREAL Air 2 Ultra
Credit: Kimberly Gedeon / Mashable
Plus, the XREAL Air 2 Ultra supports hand tracking, too, allowing you to interact with virtual artifacts in your not-so-real world. This will give the Apple Vision Pro a run for its money because the XReal Air 2 Ultra manages to deliver an AR experience without the heavy headset and clunky battery pack.
3. XanderGlasses
XanderGlasses, unlike the X2 Lite and the XREAL Air 2 Ultra, are not designed for entertainment. They’re spectacles that cater to the accessibility niche. For users who are hearing-impaired, XanderGlasses can deliver live-captioning to its wearers.
XanderGlasses real-time captioning
Credit: Xander
For example, if you are hard of hearing, and you’re wearing XanderGlasses, you will see any spoken words being transcribed on the lenses, right before your eyes.
Final thoughts
People weren’t receptive to the likes of Google Glass when it debuted nearly a decade ago, but with the unveiling of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the masses appear to be more interested in the thought of wearing tech on their faces.
Admittedly, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses are more simplistic, but as I’ve addressed here, I’ve noticed many people exhibiting disappointment that they don’t have any AR features. This is perhaps where TCL RayNeo, XREAL, and Xander step in to meet users’ desires.
