Wearables are hot again in 2025, and Rokid, a major player in the market, has just released its Rokid AR Lite Bundle now known as Rokid AR Spatial, which includes the Max 2 AR glasses and the Station 2, meant to power all of its features. Promising 3 Degrees of Freedom (3DoF), improved resolution, and a host of updates from their previous glasses, the Max 2 enters a competitive space dominated by other brands with powerful sets such as the Viture Pro. With a slightly larger field of view, a lighter design, and a competitive price point, Rokid seems poised to take the lead. But due to some DRM certification issues, the AR Lite Bundle has only just delivered on providing the Max 2 while Rokid handles issues on their end. Is it worth getting the Max 2 Glasses without the Station 2? Let’s dive into the reality.
Rokid's Max 2 AR Glasses Specs:
- Resolution: FHD 1920x1080 pixel RGB per eye
- Contrast Ratio: 100000:1
- FOV: 50° (16:10)
- Brightness: Up to 600 nits perceived brightness
- Brightness control: 6 levels
- Refresh Rate: Up to 120Hz (Station 2)
- Color gamut: sRGB 106%(area ratio)
- HD Directional Speaker*2
- Noise-canceling Microphone*2
- 0.00D to -6.00D Myopia Correction
- AI voice control
- Weight: 75g
- Folded Dimensions: 174.37mm(L)*158.71mm(W)*44.94mm(H)
- Physical Buttons: Brightness control & 2D/3D*1; Volume control*2
- Connectivity: Devices with USB-C Display Port and OTG (Android 10 or later)
- MSRP 399 (On Rokid's Website)
Initial Impressions and Setup
Rokid has over a decade of experience, and you’d expect the Chinese company to have refined its understanding of what the augmented reality (AR) market demands. The wearable market, especially head-mounted displays (HMDs), is set to explode in 2025, ushering in a new era of technological culture with lighter, glasses-sized wearables. However, Rokid’s Max 2 glasses—without their tethered system, the Station 2—highlight just how much further they need to go to create a truly functional device.
As a seasoned AR and VR enthusiast, I was eager to try the Max 2, having owned a pair of Rokid Air glasses before. I backed the Max 2 on Kickstarter, enticed by promises of improved functionality and the potential for the Station 2 to further enhance the experience. However, I quickly realized how much heavy lifting the Station 2 would have to do. I hoped the Max 2 could serve as my daily driver for productivity on my Samsung Galaxy Fold 6, with Samsung Dex acting as the primary operating system. Unfortunately, the experience fell short.
The Max 2 glasses are not standalone; they require tethering via USB-C. Connected to my phone, I used a Bluetooth keyboard to create a desktop-like experience. However, the glasses’ visual real estate failed to deliver clarity. Reading emails, browsing websites, or clicking on interface elements like app buttons required constant adjustment of the glasses. Despite FHD resolution per eye, finding a comfortable position to view content clearly was a struggle. The lack of edge-to-edge clarity made productivity cumbersome, and I often felt it would be easier to switch to a laptop.
Multimedia and Gaming Experience
The story changes slightly when it comes to multimedia and gaming. As a delivery system for movies and games, the Rokid Max 2 shines. In these scenarios, attention is focused centrally, making the viewing experience more immersive and enjoyable. The comfort of being able to swivel my head while keeping my eyes on the action was a highlight, though without the Station 2, I had no choice in where the placement of the screen was nor the size it could be. When it came to gaming, everything worked as it should, and it was nice having the 6 levels of brightness, the brightest of which still allowed for some transparency so I could see what was behind me.
While some would expect that to be distracting, especially when playing a game, I learned quickly that it was just a matter of focus. If chose to see through the glasses, it became easier to see what was happening in the world. If I lowered the brightness, it became substantially easier to focus on the background. Connectivity was also simple for gaming, as I could connect it up directly to my Nintendo Switch and I no longer had to bend my neck and look down at a screen. It made my handheld gaming experience somewhat better, even if I would have preferred the experience of placing the screens where I wanted them.
This led me to believe that the promised 3DoF would elevate both productivity and entertainment. However, this feature requires the Station 2, which was only available in a non DRM version, which wouldn't run certain apps on the Station 2 natively. The Station 2 already has some app issues with limited application support. However, without Station 2, I couldn’t place menus or situate documents and web pages, resulting in the same frustrating need to reposition the glasses repeatedly.
Adding to the disappointment was Rokid’s companion app that they request you download via a QR code on their official documentation. After downloading the program from the Google Play Store, I spent roughly 30 minutes trying to connect it to the glasses, only to discover its sole purpose was to display instructional videos and give some basic information on the platform itself. The app lacked functionality to enhance the glasses’ usability, a significant missed opportunity, and likely a push for users to pick up a Station just to get the functionality that could have easily been built in to the app or even the glasses themselves.
Hardware Strengths, Software Weaknesses
As standalone AR glasses, the Rokid Max 2 falls short, not due to hardware limitations—Rokid’s specs exceed competitors’ in many areas—but due to subpar software execution. Unless you’re content with tethering to your phone for basic tasks like watching videos or gaming on your Switch or Steam Deck, the Max 2 glasses don’t offer much value.
As a Kickstarter backer, I also witnessed firsthand the challenges Rokid faced, including milestone delays, poor communication, and missed shipping dates. The Station 2—key to unlocking the glasses’ full potential—has not yet passed its DRM certification, preventing it from running apps like Netflix. Rokid’s decision to ship the glasses separately or deliver the Station 2 without DRM has further complicated matters.
These issues have frustrated many backers who expected more from an established company, with an added 'bonus' that Rokid has also been scrambling to deliver on their own standalone sets to compete with companies like RayNeo and Meta teasing some outstanding products headed to market soon.
The Rokid Max 2 AR Glasses, as they stand, are a mixed bag. For tethered use with a phone, they offer a decent multimedia experience but fall short for productivity. Without the Station 2, the glasses lack the functionality to compete in an increasingly sophisticated AR market. If you’re considering the Max 2 for a standalone experience, think again. For now, Rokid’s latest offering is more of a stopgap to more robust options on the horizon than a game-changer.
