Until now, the AR glasses have only been available to developers in the US. However, Snap announced that the latest version of its technological marvel will soon be available in Europe โ but only for developers and creative professionals for the time being. I was invited by Snap Inc. to test the Spectacles 5.
The first thing you notice when you put on Spectacles 5 is the ultra-bright 2000 nits clear display. Thanks to the electrochromatic lenses, which can be darkened via the menu automatically, the headset can also be used outdoors in bright daylight โ a really impressive feature!
Although the colors and resolution are far from perfect, the glasses already offer probably the best AR display available for the money.
Operation is entirely via precise hand tracking and gestures, which works surprisingly well after a short period of familiarization. The technology only reaches its limits in fast-paced rhythm games.
Two cameras in the front control all 6-DOF tracking and detect your surroundings. Two invisible infrared cameras on the bottom of the headset can also detect hands outside the central field of view. This feature is ingenious and will become the gold standard for everyday devices.
By the way, Snap offers spectacle wearers the option to insert their own prescription clip inserts into the inside of the Spectacles. However, I have also seen people pull the Spectacles over their own glasses if they were small enough. I don't know if and how much this can cause scratches.