Gunnar Optiks Present Futuristic "Gamer Glasses"

Think you have all the gaming accessories you need? Maybe not. Maybe the technological advances in this new generation extend beyond familiarity.

We all know how important our eyes are when playing games, and for those of us who make a living in front of a video screen, it's important to take frequent breaks and insure your eyes aren't constantly being assaulted and, consequently, strained. But perhaps these will help if you're in a similar situation, or if you simply want a better gaming experience: these are gaming glasses from Gunnar Optiks, home of "Digital Performance Eyewear." You may have some reservations, but recently, ArsTechnica went hands-on (or eyes-on) with these glasses that feature various coatings, tints, shapes and space-age material. The makers claim these glasses have multiple purposes, including reducing glare, reducing eye strain, and "blocking out evaporative air currents." ...yeah, we're not even sure what that is. But anyway, the test run was mostly successful at Ars; they even spoke with an optometrist who says such glasses probably would work, and she even said they boast many of the same traits of the special glasses she sells at her practice. In short, these things really should help a great deal if you plan to embark on any lengthy gaming sessions.

Just bear in mind that these will run you at least $100, although depending on who you are, it may be worth the money. And where are those bozos who claim that women can't look hot in glasses...?

10/9/2009 12:27:14 PM Ben Dutka

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Comments (51 posts)

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NiteKrawler
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 12:43:33 PM
Reply

Huh...Not sure what to make of it yet.

Last edited by NiteKrawler on 10/9/2009 12:43:53 PM

1 up, 0 down

coverton341
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 12:57:16 PM
Reply

I might actually be interested in these for the shear fact that I spend all day looking at a computer screen and writing code. Sounds like a good product for the programmer and gamer.

3 up, 0 down

JackKnifeZero
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:47:47 PM

I agree. I'm in the same boat. I'm constantly taking breaks from code due to eyestrain. It'd be nice to not have that interruption. It is so hard to get back in the zone. Still 100 dollars...too steep for me at the moment.

1 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 2:27:20 PM

I've got a $300 pair of shades that doesn't do any of those things. $100 ain't so bad.

1 up, 0 down

Banky A
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:02:51 PM

LOL sorry Coverton I was an idiot before.

Nice I didn't know you wrote code. Respect ;)

0 up, 0 down

coverton341
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 5:03:03 PM

Banky:
Not a problem dude sometimes we all get into the heat of the moment when we are passionate about a subject or something in general it is only human nature. I hold no ill will about anything man. It's only the internet after all.

2 up, 0 down

frylock25
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 12:58:38 PM
Reply

not that i doubt that science couldnt do something like this. i wouldnt pay $100 for this.

0 up, 0 down

SkantDragon
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:13:51 PM
Reply

I call bull.

I smell another get rich quick scheme.

Just like whatever the latest fad in junk dieting will always have some 'doctor' backing the claim that it's real and 'scientifically proven'.

These people prey on the gullible.

2 up, 0 down

Killsignal
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:13:56 PM
Reply

that chick looks hot in glasses!...

5 up, 0 down

photo K
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:24:14 PM

then it MUST be good!

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 2:25:41 PM

Love me some chicks in glasses.

0 up, 0 down

kevinater321
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 4:41:02 PM

mhmmm....glass....

0 up, 0 down

Karosso
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:16:33 PM
Reply

Might be a bit too late for me, since I almost lost my right eye already but, since the left one is the only good one I should look into it. Just so I don't mess up the left one.
Actually the price is not half bad...

0 up, 0 down

Hezzron
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:19:08 PM
Reply

This might be a "buy" for me. I hate it when I'm playing online and I'm about to frag some n00b and along comes a evaporative air current to mess up my game. Maybe I'll buy a pair for my dog too, seeing as how he likes to watch me play.

14 up, 0 down

NiteKrawler
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:36:49 PM

Superlolz for you, my friend.

2 up, 0 down

Alienange
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 8:34:51 PM

Now THAT's friggin' hilarious.

1 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 1:29:31 PM
Reply

Oh good grief.

I wear glasses all the time - because I have to. These gamer glasses are nothing more than mildly tinted lenses with no vision correction properties at all.

The tint blocks some blue reducing glare, which prevents your eyes from straining. The tint also boosts that apparent contrast of your vision, which makes things look sharper. All the crap about lens geometry, lens material and lens coatings is just marketing fluff trying to make the product seem somehow extra techie and special.

Save some money, try some shooting glasses with a similar tint, some cheap sunglasses, or even a pair of blue blockers.

5 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 2:30:05 PM

I hate those commercial for HD Vision sunglasses, they make it looks like without them everything you see is like standard definition TV... and well you get the comparison.

0 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 4:30:15 PM

The ONLY reason for getting a thumbs down is for mentioning BluBlockers. Now, if you remember Stubbies, I might change it. LOL

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 2:26:19 PM
Reply

Those evaporative air currents are the bane of gaming.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 10/9/2009 2:28:42 PM

0 up, 1 down

Highlander
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:07:29 PM

Especially gaming on the move. Surely these glasses would be ideal for the jet setting PSP Go gamer on the movie. Their eyes resting and relaxing behind twin shields of yellow plasticy goodness. As the gamer glides from terminal to terminal, gaming all the while, with underlings ensuring that the journey passes with ease. Ah yes. Gamer glasses protect a traveler's eyes from unsightly drying and cracking.

1 up, 1 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 6:19:14 PM

lol gotta love deep sarcasm.

0 up, 0 down

chucknasty
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 2:36:03 PM
Reply

Sold! My pair is on the way.
In my defense I spend way too much time working on an electron microscope and the noise is really hard on the eyes after a while. I don't know how a generation survived grainy black and white TV via antennae.
(and I hadn't read Highlanders post or I would have tried that first).

0 up, 0 down

Banky A
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 2:48:56 PM
Reply

Damn those evaporative air currents!
They're cooking my eyes like bacon.

1 up, 1 down

Highlander
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:08:46 PM

Dude! Stop gaming in a wind tunnel!

Alternately do your eyes a favor and get these twin shields of yellow plasticy goodness...

0 up, 1 down

Oyashiro
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:14:33 PM
Reply

Its like the future is NOW! I just bought 9! Now I can see forever and beyond! Infinity looks great now that I can see it!

Last edited by Oyashiro on 10/9/2009 3:15:28 PM

0 up, 0 down

therabbitkinge
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:20:56 PM
Reply

I could absolutely live without em', I mean there are a million ergonomic solutions to eyes strain that don't cost me a cent! This is likely just a company picking at the hardcore and/or ignorant gamers pocket T^T

@karosso=old friend of mine has the sae eye problem and the only solution is to get prof lenses so they can balance both eyes with specific prescriptions so you keep it balanced ^_^ good luck with that though ^_^

0 up, 0 down

Karosso
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 10:16:01 PM

Well I had retinal detachment so is bit more complicated than that... I see everything half size on my right eye and when I have them both open, I get one bi*** of a double vision :(
Must wait for another 5 month to see how much it heals back and the rest I will try to correct with glasses if possible.
Will play U2 with one eye and then when I get better I have an excuse to play again with both LOL
I'm so gonna get F*%$# in multilayer hahahaha

0 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:40:44 PM
Reply

"And where are those bozos who claim that women can't look hot in glasses...?"

Obviously, those guys have never been "hot" for teacher or had a playful woman in their lives. Tsk, tsk.

1 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 9:06:34 PM

+1 for the Van Halen reference (even if it wasn't intentional). ;)

1 up, 0 down

Highlander
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 11:57:33 PM

LOL, tell those individuals they need to watch Please Teacher twice, all the way through, OVA episode included....of course a woman can look hot in glasses, and it's not just teacher they'd be hot for, there's always librarians and secretaries...

You know, reading that back, there's a fetish reference in there for sure.

1 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 3:01:48 AM

I have a fetish for hot women and yes, that was a reference to Van Halen. That video, and the song, of course, were grreat!

0 up, 0 down

photo K
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 3:40:46 PM
Reply

Ben is there going to be a hardware review on these glasses? I'd like to hear what kind of score they could get.

0 up, 0 down

NoSmokingBandit
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 4:04:45 PM
Reply

$100 for mildly tinted glasses? No thanks. My aviators block more wind, erm... "evaporative air currents" than these would anyway.

Who the hell games in the wind anyway? Close your damn window!

1 up, 0 down

Highlander
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 12:04:45 AM

Somewhere I still have a pair of aviator style glasses from the 80's. Huge lenses, Carrera Porsche frames. I bet they'd block a hurricane!

0 up, 0 down

___________
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 1:45:52 AM

what if you have the air conditioner on?
HA!
my fathers got a pair of those "disco glasses" gold frames with a ivory green lens.
those things could block out the sun.
funny what use to be fashionable back in the day

Last edited by ___________ on 10/10/2009 1:46:50 AM

0 up, 0 down

fluffer nutter
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 3:03:46 AM

Back in the day? Those bug eye glasses have been hot, once again, for the past several years. Dudes wear them too. They might as well have a motorcycle helmet on. Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick.

0 up, 0 down

LowKey
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 4:40:15 PM
Reply

Women in glasses are SO hot.

2 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 6:19:27 PM

truth.

1 up, 0 down

bigrailer19
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 5:00:01 PM
Reply

i gotta be honest, i know im not the only one that wears contacts or glasses, but i have a hard time gaming for any longer than 2 hours, with out strain.

If something like this did work for me id buy them! The evaporitive air currents although im not sure what they are could be them just reffering to a suttle breeze in your house hold which isnt uncommon, especially for houses with less insulation. my point is, my eyes get really dry really fast when gaming and its for 2 reasons. 1. air drying them out. and 2. maybe i dont blink enough lol.

So to all the nay sayers if i was able to test these and it helped with the dry eyes and the headaches that follow i would buy a set for $100 easy, because my eyes are attention whores for sure!

Last edited by bigrailer19 on 10/9/2009 5:00:46 PM

0 up, 0 down

Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 9:05:57 PM

You're not the only one. I can't even wear contacts when working or playing; a video screen will strain my eyes in only an hour or two.

0 up, 0 down

Highlander
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 12:02:01 AM

Blink more, and use eyedrops, it'll be cheaper.

;)

</naysayer mode>

Last edited by Highlander on 10/10/2009 12:02:17 AM

0 up, 0 down

kevinater321
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 5:00:56 PM
Reply

Tehe, i saw this as a prize in a taco bell contest. And this sweet tv/seat/computer thingy. And that thing looks awsome. It even moves and stuff :D

0 up, 0 down

redman479
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 5:03:39 PM
Reply

Unless they can also be used to play 3d games then they're a waste.

0 up, 0 down

tlpn99
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 6:29:56 PM
Reply

Already paid £300 for my glasses £200 2 years ago and now just had anothr eye test that cost me £95 for the lenses to be replaced as they were scratched. I could have gotten away with them but thought no best get a new pair.

So thats why my eyes are bad its those damn air currents lol :)

0 up, 0 down

LightShow
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 8:33:16 PM
Reply

pretty sure "blocking out evaporative air currents" translates to "keeping wind from hitting your eyes and drying them out"

2 up, 0 down

Highlander
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 12:01:07 AM

But....what about the tiny currents and eddies that form as the air flows over the lens? I also wonder what kind of world people live in if the wind is always in their face, and never from the side, or swirling around them.

Somehow I think that if the lenses were capable of stopping air movement behind the lens, the wearer's eyes would actually feel more tired because they couldn't get any fresh air to 'breath'.

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Friday, October 09, 2009 @ 8:41:40 PM
Reply

Alright fine, but now can I get something that blocks my mouth from harmful Cheetos?

4 up, 0 down

___________
Saturday, October 10, 2009 @ 1:42:20 AM
Reply

i think by evaporative air currents they mean air passing by drying your eyes making them sting.
thats why i cant drive with the air conditioner on, it drys my eyes out and no matter how many times i blink after a few minutes my eyes start to sting really bad.
same when im playing a game or using my laptop.
whenever im close to a screen my eyes start to sting, funny though it does not effect me when im watching TV even though i use the same TV to watch TV and play games.

0 up, 0 down

mastiffchild
Sunday, October 11, 2009 @ 11:30:57 AM
Reply

I know we have no idea whether these are just made to cash in on a fear put into our heads with the warnings about taking a break at the start of every game. However, I hd to get some special glasses made as mu eyes are very sensitive when dribing at night-the headlights going the other way strain my eyes so bad that I used to suffer migraines after a long journey.

Anyway, I was sceptical about them doing much good yet they work a treat. I now have similar issues after gaming(and I just cab't do it without all the lights on these days)but the same glasses don't help with this so something like what they suggest could be a boon to me and others with the same/similar kind of problem(s). I'd need a lot more information about it and $100 for something not tailored to your eyes inparticular sounds steep and slightly worrying as well.

I realise the terror of the vagiaries of air currents are no laughing matter to these people but I'd like to have a look myself to see if they do anything of merit. They won't make anything look any better than any specific coloured filters on any glasses but if they do help prevent eye stain and the resultant headaches(even for those of us addicted to gaing in our wind tunnels on 60ft screens from 3 feet away-with our dogs, natch)then they gotta be worth a look, no?

I know it's a daft thing but, christ on a bike, migraines aren't half worth avoidingg even at the cost of being ripped off!

0 up, 0 down

OriginalSin
Monday, October 12, 2009 @ 5:08:08 AM
Reply

Well it basically does what my current prescription glasses do... Got them especially for working on a computer and gaming, as I don't NEED to wear them all the time. I actually wear them more than what's needed but they help a lot with either lengthy work or gaming sessions.

So yeah i think it's a very good idea and it will definitely help reduce strain to your eyes.

I just don't need them right now...

0 up, 0 down

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Gunnar Optiks Present Futuristic "Gamer Glasses"

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