Rokid is making a TV dongle for its AR glasses

Now this is interesting: Chinese AR hardware startup Rokid has unveiled an Android TV streaming dongle designed specifically for its AR glasses. Rokid Station, as the product is called, plugs directly into the company’s Rokid Max or Rokid Air glasses, effectively turning them into an Android TV display on the go.

• The dongle comes with an integrated battery that promises up to 5 hours of play time, and doubles as a power bank, according to Rokid’s website.

• It’s also a remote, complete with a D-Pad for navigation and four Android-specific buttons.

• Images on Rokid’s website highlight YouTube, Hulu, Peacock, Apple TV and Prime Video as some of the services running on this unusual dongle.

• In addition to streaming apps, the Rokid Station is also supposed to offer access to cloud gaming as well as productivity apps. And since it’s Android TV, it supports casting as well.

• The one app that’s notably missing from the marketing material on Rokid’s website is Netflix. The streamer typically requires hardware makers to integrate a dedicated Netflix button, and the absence of that button may be another hint that the device may not have received Netflix certification.

• Rokid Station will cost $129 on its own, a bundle with Rokid’s Max AR glasses is priced $529. The device will ship in September, according to Rokid’s website.

• Speaking of Rokid Max: These aren’t true, standalone AR glasses, but smart glasses that plug into your phone or game console, similar to Xreal’s Air device. Still, for TV viewing, that may be more than enough: Rokid Max’s 1080p display delivers the same experience as a 215-inch TV, the company claims.

I’ve long been fascinated with devices that expand the definition of what a TV can be. Amazon has been further ahead than most of its competitors in this regard: Not only has the company brought its Fire TV platform to cars, but it also added a TV mode to its Echo Show 15, effectively transforming a TV from a physical device to a software layer. Now, Google and Rokid are adding an interesting twist to this by making large-screen TVs truly portable.

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Photo courtesy of Rokid.