Apple is not the first company to enter the market with a pair of smart glasses. However, due to Apple’s marketing machine and reputation, the company’s Vision Pro headset seems to be all everyone’s talking about right now. But at CES 2025, the Vision Pro might have a challenger with the brand new Rokid AR Spatial smart glasses.
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Rokid is no stranger when it comes to smart glasses. The company has quite an impressive portfolio of AR (augmented reality) headsets. The AR Spatial is the latest addition to that lineup. It can also be viewed as the more advanced sibling of the AR Lite.
One of the standout features of the Rokid AR Spatial is how much more compact it is compared to other competing headsets. There are smart glasses like those by Meta and Snap that are equally small, but those glasses do not pack the same features as the AR Spatial.
For starters, the AR Spatial can project a “screen” that goes up to 300-inches in size. This is thanks to the company’s use of Sony’s micro OLED technology. It boasts a 100,000:1 contrast ratio, 600 nits brightness, and goes up to a 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports a 3-screen spatial browser setup so you can multitask like a pro.
Another feature that makes the AR Spatial so special is that it is the world’s first AR glasses to feature intelligent myopia and pupillary adjustment. This will allow users, with or without nearsightedness, to enjoy the AR experience. This eliminates the need for users to purchase additional lenses or make modifications.
The smart glasses also run on Rokid’s own platform. This platform can run Android-based apps, but it can also connect to other systems like the Steam Deck, Nintendo Switch, laptops, and smartphones. This gives users more flexibility in what they can do with it.
Challenging the Apple Vision Pro
There are many other mixed-reality headsets out there in the market today. In fact, Samsung has something in the works as well. But right now, the one to “beat”, would be Apple’s Vision Pro. To that end, the Rokid AR Spatial could actually prove itself to be a worthy contender.
One of the problems with the Vision Pro is how big and bulky it is. Not to mention how incredibly expensive it is as well.
With the Rokid AR Spatial, the company has created something that’s more compact. The headset itself looks like a regular pair of sunglasses. This means that it is easier to bring around and it looks less weird when wearing it in public. It is also compatible with a bunch of computers and mobile devices.
This means that, unlike the Vision Pro, users don’t feel the pressure to buy into the Apple ecosystem and are free to use it with whatever device they want. Only time will tell if Rokid’s AR glasses have what it takes to challenge the other more established players, but for now, it’s looking promising.
