I tried these RayNeo Air 2s glasses on sale for Black Friday

With the holidays coming, I’ve been trying a spat of unique VR and AR devices. One pair I got my hands on, called the RayNeo Air 2s, basically gives you a portable 201-inch display that you can put on and use anytime, anywhere. They work with Android, Mac, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and — my favorite — Steam Deck. Our team has used the RayNeo Air 2 previously and also gave them high marks. Fun Fact I learned from reading that, RayNeo is actually a TCL brand. As for what I think of them, we’ll get to that. For now, I want to talk about the crazy RayNeo Black Friday deals that have just dropped.

RayNeo Air 2 — $184, was $380 51% off

These AR/XR glasses cannot be used standalone. Meaning, they’re not like a VR headset with a built-in battery. They have to be plugged into a device via USB-C to power up. For example, plug them into your smartphone or something like a Steam Deck, and bam, you’re instantly looking at the equivalent of a 200-inch OLED display. They offer studio-grade acoustic sound, localized to just you, incredible visual fidelity, and support a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth gameplay and screen action where it counts. They’re super comfortable, too, more so than a bulky VR headset so you can wear them for hours at a time no problem. They come with a case, a USB-C connection cable, and a lens cleaner, so everything you need. They’re also plug-and-play compatible with a wide range of devices.

The Black Friday discount drops the price to $199, with a $100 off on-page coupon. But you can get an extra $15 off if you use the code TXIN4TE9 at checkout — and yes, it stacks.

RayNeo Air 2S — $289, was $400 27% off

The Air 2s get a few upgrades over the original Air 2. The maximum screen brightness, for instance, is 5,000 nits versus the Air 2’s 600 nits. . As far as I can tell, the Air 2s also ups the audio ante with quad speakers, yes four total. It also uses a more vivid and detailed Sony OLED display with an overall slightly more streamlined design. One thing to note, if it can even be called a setback, is that the Air 2s is slightly heavier at 78 grams versus the Air 2’s 76 grams. That doesn’t really matter, though, the Air 2s are still super comfortable.

The Black Friday deal drops the price to $289, with a $50 on-page coupon and the current discount applied. Apparently, you can use code INQ4HWN to get an extra $15 at checkout, but I haven’t been able to get it to work.

My experience with the RayNeo Air 2s

Now to the arguably most important bit, my experience with the RayNeo Air 2s. They work great and they’re super simple. Right out of the box, you can connect the USB-C cable, plug them into whatever device you want to use, and off you go. My first testing devices were my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and my Steam Deck. I also tested them with a Nintendo Switch, and various laptops including an HP Chromebook, my PS5, and my desktop PC. A letdown was how it works with the PC. That’s because you have to use software that’s not the most intuitive. It will also work much better if you have a computer with a single monitor — I have several monitors, making casting to the Air 2s display challenging.

Either way, they’re lightweight and comfortable, and I’ve spent a lot of time with them on. My wife and kids have also used them and although they’re not a family favorite — they tend to prefer the Meta Quest 3s — they had no problems with the Air 2s either.

You can purchase the Air 2s in a bundle with a pocket TV, . That effectively transforms them into a portable smart TV and it has a 6,500mAh rechargeable battery built-in for up to 5.5 hours of power, anywhere.

Who are they for?

Honestly, anyone who loves tech. Content creators, even aspiring creators, entertainment buffs, gamers, and beyond. There’s a hidden crowd that would love these things and I happen to know this for a fact: Dads. If you know a Dad who has a Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or any number of handheld game consoles, they would feel right at home with these. You can still sit in the living room with everyone else, enjoying their company, and play your favorite games on a huge screen akin to the living room TV. But here’s the best part: The Dad gets their own private screen, their own private audio, but you can still be involved with what’s going on. I still talk to my family and interact as normal while I’m using these which is great. No one else is bothered by what I’m playing, either.

Dad need a gift? Check these out for sure.