Even before Apple pulled the curtains back on its Vision Pro headset, there’s been a surge in consumer-grade AR (augmented reality) glasses over the past couple of years, with brands like XReal (formerly nReal), TCL, Lenovo, and Rokid leading the charge. Rokid’s Max eyewear is my favorite of the bunch simply because it projects the largest screen.
But the Max, like other consumer-grade AR glasses, can’t operate on its own. It needs to connect to a computing device like a smartphone or laptop to broadcast visuals. Rokid is looking to make that tethering a bit more portable with the Rokid Station, a Google-certified Android TV box designed specifically for AR glasses. I’ve been wearing it on flights and around the house for a few weeks, and it’s my preferred way to watch YouTube videos, so long as I have privacy and personal space.
Rokid Station
The Rokid Station is a portable Android TV box designed for AR glasses like the Rokid Max or Rokid Air. It features a 5,000mAh battery for five hours of playtime and a SoC with 32GB of storage that runs Android TV 12.
- Brand
- Rokid
- Hardware
- 64-bit 4-core ARM CPU
- Dimensions
- 5.2 ounces (148g)
- Power Source
- Internal 5,000 mAh battery
- Data Ports
- USB-C
- Media ports
- Mini-HDMI
- Wireless connections
- Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0
Pros
- Small and lightweight
- 5,000mAh battery can double as power bank
- Plug-and-play
Cons
- Doesn’t do anything a smartphone can’t already do
- No internal fan means the device can get slightly warm
- Just 20GB of free storage
Pricing and Availability
The Rokid Station is available for preorder now directly from Rokid’s online store for $129 and will ship by the end of August. Starting in September, the Station will be available at retailers like Amazon for $139. Rokid is also selling the Station bundled with the Max AR glasses at its online store for $529.
Design and hardware
Portable TV box
The Rokid Station is an Android TV box but in a remote control-shaped plastic device that’s meant to be plugged into AR glasses instead of televisions or monitors. Inside the device is an undisclosed 64-bit 4-core ARM CPU with 32GB of internal storage (of which 20GB are free), 2GB of RAM, and a 5,000mAh battery. There is no fan inside, so the device can get warm with prolonged use. On the outside are buttons for control and power, an LED light battery indicator, and two ports: USB-C for charging and a mini-HDMI port for display output.
The package includes a mini-HDMI to USB-C cable and a USB-C to USB-C cable for charging the device. And yes, the Station can also use its 5,000 mAh battery to reverse-charge devices.
The buttons are clicky, and I like the look of the large circular pad, which reminds me of the classic iPod click wheel. Unfortunately, it’s just a conventional four-directional d-pad; you can’t scroll on the wheel at all.
The buttons should be pretty self-explanatory: the left-pointing arrow is to back up a screen, the home button goes home, etc. Android TV is not exactly a complicated interface, so you can do everything in it with just this remote.
How it works
The Rokid Station is just a plug-and-play device. Plug it into some Rokid smart glasses (either the Rokid Max or Rokid Air), hit the power button on the right side, and Android TV starts up. The first thing you’ll need to do is connect to an internet connection. Once connected, you have the option to sign in to your Google account. You can still use Android TV without signing in, but if you want to get a more personalized YouTube feed or install more apps, you will have to sign in.
Even though Rokid is advertising the Station to be meant for its glasses, it worked perfectly fine on the XReal Air too. It will not work, however, with a conventional television or display because the software is clearly optimized for smart glasses with dual screens using bird-bath optics.
Performance and battery life
Doesn’t do anything a smartphone can’t do, but it’s smaller
The Android TV running in the Rokid Station is Android TV 12, not the latest Android 13, but it’s OK since Android TV 12 was the one that got the major updates anyway, including support for 4K UI rendering and dynamic refresh rate. Unfortunately, the Rokid Max can’t take advantage of the 4K UI. It only outputs content at 1080p, but the refresh rate goes up to 120Hz.
The Android TV interface has YouTube and Amazon Prime Video pre-installed, and I could download Disney+, Hulu, Max, and a half dozen other streaming platforms available through the Google Play Store. Even though Rokid doesn’t advertise it, I was able to store video files directly in the Station’s internal storage for offline watching. The process requires downloading a file transfer app to move files from my phone to Station and VLC Player, which is my video player of choice.
You can also install a web browser and surf the internet that way, but controlling the on-screen keyboard with the remote control was a bit of a hassle.
The Rokid Max pumps out visuals that are about the equivalent of a 215-inch screen from 10 feet away, so visuals can be very immersive. By default, you can “see through” the visuals, which makes it possible for someone to watch content while walking around without bumping into things. Below, you can see I’m watching an episode of the American sitcom Married … With Children while the brick wall background is still visible.
I like to use the lens cover that comes with the Rokid Max to block out the outside world, so I can watch content with zero distractions. It feels like a giant screen is floating in front of my face, and it’s been my preferred way to watch YouTube videos when around the house.
However, there’s absolutely nothing the Rokid Station does that couldn’t already be done with a smartphone, which the Rokid Max can also plug into. There are two reasons why one may prefer plugging into the Rokid Station instead of a smartphone. The first is that not all phones have ports that support display output. The Google Pixel Fold and some Xiaomi phones, for example, have USB-C 2.0 that doesn’t support external screens. The second reason is that it’s smaller and much lighter (75g) than most smartphones. So when I’m walking around the house watching a video, it’s just easier to have the Station in my pocket or hand.
The 5,000mAh battery can power the Station for about five hours, which is good enough for most scenarios as you’re not likely to be wearing AR glasses for more than five hours outside on any given day — at least, I hope not.
Should you buy the Rokid Station?
You should buy the Rokid Station if:
- You own AR glasses from Rokid or XReal
- Want a standalone device for content consumption
You should not buy the Rokid Station if:
- You’ve been using AR glasses tethered to a phone and find the experience perfectly fine
- Can’t justify the price
Whether the Rokid Station is of any use is a very black-and-white affair. If you own a pair of Rokid glasses, and you’ve been tethering it to your phone or laptop without frustration, then you don’t really need to buy a separate device just to be able to watch YouTube or Hulu. However, if you’ve been using Rokid glasses and dislike how it drains your phone’s battery or how incoming phone call or text message interrupts the action, then you may want a dedicated standalone device. At $129, it’s cheap enough to recommend.
Rokid Station
Android TV in your hands
The Rokid Station is a portable Android TV box designed for AR glasses like the Rokid Max or Rokid Air. It features a 5,000mAh battery for five hours of playtime and a SoC with 32GB of storage that runs Android TV 12.