Next to VR, AR is advancing fast.
We’re not there yet as it’s still in its early adopter phase, but I’ve already shown
you that it works with my first AR glasses review.
Today, I have another one, but this one is quite different from the last.
It has a different use case.
This is the Rokid Air.
A very light and foldable on-the-go companion.
See it as a huge cinema-sized screen that you can take with you in your backpack or
in your pocket.
It’s like a 120-inch TV that you can buy for if you click our link below.
But these glasses are categorized as AR, and it is, kind of, as it augments a virtual screen
over the real world.
By software, it can also make it look AR by superimposing virtual objects over your environment.
However, the Rokid Air tracks in 3-degrees-of-freedom, so you cannot walk around these objects naturally.
This is why I would categorize it more as a smart viewer, which doesn’t have to be
a bad thing depending on its use case, and Rokid did some stuff that makes these glasses
interesting, which we’ll talk about today.
I’m Cas, and this your channel for free content about XR.
All I ask in return is to leave me a like.
Seriously, it helps a lot.
Also, thanks to Rokid for supporting the channel by sponsoring this video.
I was going to cover it anyway, sponsored or not, but this way, I can at least buy Milkyway
some food 😉
Let’s get started and join me beyond reality.
I think the Rokid Air is one of the best-looking smart glasses compared to similar glasses
I’ve tried so far.
They achieved this only by adding this front cover on top of it.
It smartly hides the system in the glasses and gives it a bit of a futuristic look, which
I think looks pretty good!
The frames work like regular glasses with two hinges at the side.
Inside the temples, you can find a soft fabric pad that makes it feel soft and comfy on the
head, not unimportant.
There is a physical button on the right temple that developers can map.
I have a pretty small nose, so I was positively surprised to find that it sits nicely on my
nose.
Chary has a bigger nose and still thought it was comfortable too.
So the adjustable nose piece seems to have enough flex to fit most, and it’s comfy
enough to watch an entire movie with this thing.
But if you want, you can replace the nose pad.
Let me show you how it works.
Beneath the cover, there are two small OLED screens and a Birdbath Optical module.
The module is designed to reflect what’s on the tiny displays onto the wearer’s eyes.
It also enlarges it with a mirror and allows for a high-quality image.
So what I’m seeing now is a large virtual screen in front of me that looks like it’s
superimposed over my actual room.
It’s a little bit transparent, too, giving that AR effect.
This Birdbath system doesn’t cover the eyes, so if you’re with someone, they won’t
feel so isolated from you.
It’s interesting tech that we’ve seen in these kinds of glasses more often.
Content is served through a compatible device.
You can use it on Android phones that support DisplayPort over USB-C. You also need Android
10 or later, and on iOS, it only works on iPads with a USB-C port.
You CAN also use it as an external screen.
It supports gaming consoles, but you’ll need a compatible HDMI to USB-C adapter.
On laptops or PCs, you’ll need a compatible USB-C port, and it’ll act like a second
monitor.
Something Rokid calls: Projection Mode, which can be nice if you work in a café or something
where you cannot place your laptop comfortably.
Possibly a fun benefit is that you’ll also get a lot of attention from people around
you since they’ll either find what you’re doing futuristic cool or super weird 😉
However, you can do the most with your phone.
You can connect to one using the provided USB-C cable, and the first thing you’ll
see is a mirror of your phone in front of you.
With this mode, you can browse the web or anything else you would do on your phone.
If you install the Rokid Air app, you can do more as the app is like a little operating
system for the glasses.
The phone turns into a touchpad and some tappable buttons.
From here, you can launch various apps using your phone as the controller.
The touchpad supports finger gestures that allow you to navigate the OS.
So you can launch apps by sliding your finger on the touchpad and then tapping to select
it.
Two fingers to scroll or three fingers to go back to the menu.
This is not rocket science 😉
The Rokid Air also has built-in dual noise-canceling microphones with voice control.
So if you’re lazy and don’t want to use your hands at all, you can also use voice
commands.
This is really convenient for tasks like launching an app or setting the volume.
Volume down, volume up.
Navigate Home.
HEHE
There’s a full voice command list available inside the app.
Now, the Rokid Air has several use cases.
You can use it for entertainment, like scrolling through social media or YouTube to watch our
videos 😉. It’s all displayed on that screen in front of you so that you can sit
comfortably, and it’s like you’re doing everything on a 120-inch monitor.
The screen can be fixed to your head’s position, so if you look left or right, it’ll stay
in front of you.
You CAN select 3DoF mode; the screen will then be fixed in a position slightly above
you, no matter where you look or how much you spin around.
It’ll stay in that position.
In this mode, however, the field of view limit is more noticeable as you’ll see the edges
of the screen when you look around.
The FOV is about 43 degrees diagonal, and yes, when compared to VR, this seems small,
but for glasses like these, it’s actually common.
Of course, I would like more FOV when the tech’s there, but for now, it didn’t bother
me much since the screen itself looks big enough.
At the right distance, it even looks bigger than my real 77inch TV.
What I’m missing here is the ability to move the fixed screen around or to zoom it
in.
This is a feature Rokid said they should add to the next generation.
But using it to consume content is really fun.
You can even do it while working out, and you know, anything else you do around the
house.
Another interesting use case is gaming, and especially their dedicated games are interesting
- like Reflex Unit 2.
Here, the game spawns a big playfield in front of you that’s bigger than the glasses field
of view.
What’s cool is that it’s fixed in position so that you can look around that playfield.
Since the glasses have a couple of sensors, like an IMU and magnetometer, it’s able
to tell what you’re looking at while the virtual screen stays fixed.
It’s kind of like you’re playing on a couple of monitors stacked on top of each
other with the game extended on all of them.
Of course, while you look around, you’ll notice the smaller field of view, but I would
say it’s a step up compared to gaming on just your phone.
As you can see, the phone turns into this game controller, but you can also connect
a wireless controller like the Xbox controller if your phone supports it.
And this kind of feels like you’re now carrying a “gaming console and TV in one” in your
pocket.
There are currently eight games or apps like this that are available through the Rokid
app store.
And Rokid told me that they are planning to launch 200 more apps this year, which will
have games in all kinds of genres.
One more feature caught my attention.
The glasses also allow you to watch 360 or 180 VR content so you can actually look around
like you do in VR.
The experience is stretched all around you.
It is more limited than VR since these glasses don’t support 6DoF tracking.
So you cannot bend forward and move closer to virtual objects.
That would be the next step for Rokid.
And IT IS again limited by the field of view.
It’s like when you watch YouTube VR by moving your phone around, but I think it is a smart
extra feature.
For the sound, you can connect any headphones that connect to the device you’re using.
You can also use the HD directional speakers integrated into the strap, which actually
sounds pretty good.
It’s loud enough, and it has clear high and middle tones.
The only thing lacking is the low tones and bass.
It’s good enough for watching casual content, but if you want to be totally immersed, you
probably want to bring your own.
But ok Cas, yes, there’s lots I can do with these glasses but what does it look like?
What is the display quality?
Well, I’m glad you ask.
I mentioned before that there are two small OLED screens in the glasses.
They are 1920 x 1080 pixels per eye so full HD and have a refresh rate of max 60Hz.
There are also two diopter adjustment dials per eye on top of the glasses, which range
from 0.00 to -5.00 D.
And the image quality is great; the colors look beautiful like the blacks look deep and
the sharpness is almost edge to edge.
It is good enough to read subtitles clearly.
I do notice that when you have a high contrasting foreground and background, then near the edges,
there’s noticeable chromatic aberration.
This makes it not as sharp as a regular screen but still sharp enough to read and do everything.
Hats off to Rokid here.
The refresh rate should be more than enough for consuming content since most videos are
60fps.
Maybe, the only thing here is if you want to play a game at 120hz on a PS5 or something,
which wouldn’t be possible.
The brightness is also surprisingly good, it can go up to 1800 nits, and I found it
better than the previous AR glasses I’ve tried.
A disadvantage is a cable that’s hanging around.
The glasses also drain your phone’s battery fast, but how long it lasts will depend on
your phone.
However, this wouldn’t be a problem with other devices that can be kept charged.
Then lastly, the tech’s limitations that I talked about.
So, I think the Rokid Air is cool tech for specific use cases.
It’s not full AR yet as that needs 6DoF, occlusion, and hand interaction.
Right now, there are no affordable consumer glasses capable of that since the technology
just isn’t there yet.
So the Rokid Air is just the beginning, but I think it’s a good beginning as it already
has some nifty useful features with beautiful-looking optics.
Just keep in mind that it may not be for everyone as it depends on what you want to do with
it.
If you want to know more, click the link below.
The Rokid Air is available now in this Starry Gray color via Indiegogo for US$409 usually
but Rokid gave us a 10 dollar discount to giveaway to our viewers if you use our link
below.
In the box, you’ll get a case for the glasses, an extra nose pad, a USB-C cable, a user guide,
and a cleaning cloth.
Now I am curious, is the Rokid Air something for you, and if so, what would you use it
for?
Let me know in the comments below!
I hope you enjoyed this, and if you did, please leave me a like.
A special thanks go to all our Champions, especially these Patrons down below.
As always, VR on!