As someone who keeps a close eye on extended reality tech, I was pretty curious to see what TCL had to offer with their NXTWear S “XR” glasses. On paper, they promise a portable, immersive OLED viewing experience — essentially a wearable display that gives you a giant screen anywhere you go. In practice, though? It’s a mixed bag. There’s definitely potential here, but the experience doesn’t quite deliver the magic it teases.
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TCL NXTWear S Review: The Big Screen That Just… Isn't
At first, it’s cool. You plug it in, and boom — a massive OLED screen floats in front of you. The colours pop, the blacks are deep, and it really does look like a big screen hovering a few metres away. Sit on your couch, plug it into a Steam Deck or a phone that supports DisplayPort over USB-C, and suddenly you’ve got a private cinema. For about five minutes, it genuinely feels like the future.
Then reality settles in.
The biggest hurdle with the NXTWear S isn’t the image quality — it's the fit. These glasses might be marketed as one-size-fits-all, but unless you have the exact face geometry they were modelled on, expect a lot of fiddling. The nose bridges are swappable, sure, but even with the alternative one installed, I found myself adjusting them constantly. The temples creak when flexed, the glasses pinch slightly, and despite all the tweaking, I never quite got the image perfectly aligned. One corner would be blurred, or the edges would fall out of view. I kept chasing that “sweet spot” where it looked clear and centred — and only ever found it briefly.
For anyone who wears prescription glasses, this becomes even more frustrating. TCL includes blank lens inserts so you can get custom prescriptions made, which sounds great — except no local optometrists I spoke to wanted to touch them. TCL partners with Lensology for inserts, but at around $150 AUD (not including postage), it’s just more cash thrown at an already niche product. Without the lenses, I found parts of the screen soft and slightly out of focus, which kills the immersion fast.
And then there’s the “XR” label — which is doing a lot of heavy lifting. There’s nothing extended or augmented about this reality. No cameras, no sensors, no interactivity. These are not AR or MR glasses — they’re just external screens strapped to your face. It's marketing spin, and it shows.
Audio is built into the frames, and it’s serviceable. You get stereo sound piped directly to your ears with minimal bleed, but it’s no replacement for even a budget pair of earbuds. And every now and then, I’d get these weird pops or crackles — not loud, but enough to remind me I was wearing something more prototype than polish.
Heat was another issue. After about 30 minutes, the area around the lenses started to feel warm — not dangerously so, but enough to make you take a break. Eye fatigue crept in too. I could handle short sessions, but any longer and I’d walk away with a dull ache behind my eyes, like I’d been staring at a screen too close (which, to be fair… I had).
It’s frustrating, because there is something genuinely exciting buried in here. The OLED panels TCL used are lovely. The concept of a plug-and-play private screen has real appeal — especially for handheld gaming or travel. But all of that promise gets buried under comfort issues, visual compromises, and the nagging feeling that this tech isn’t quite baked yet.
The Good Stuff
Let’s start with what they get right.
Lightweight and portable: Despite looking chunky, these glasses are surprisingly light and comfortable at first. They’re easy to chuck into a bag, and the hard-shell case they come with is a nice touch.
Decent OLED visuals: When you hit that viewing sweet spot, the picture can be genuinely impressive. Deep blacks, vivid colours — it really does feel like a big screen in front of your face. I’d say the 100" from 8-9ft claim is fairly accurate, assuming you’re seated right and using the included magnetic shade to block ambient light.
Plug-and-play: No extra apps or setup hoops — just plug them into a compatible device with DisplayPort over USB-C and you’re good to go. Works fine with laptops, some Android phones, and handhelds like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally.
The Not-So-Good
Unfortunately, the novelty wears thin once you start using them for more than 20 minutes at a time.
Fit is an issue: I’ve got a medium-to-large head, and the glasses felt tight and creaky when adjusting. Even with the alternative nose bridge, it took a lot of fiddling to get a clear image — and even then, corners of the display sometimes stayed blurry or partially cut off. Not ideal.
Prescription support feels half-baked: Custom lens blanks are included, which is a thoughtful touch — but I couldn’t get any local optometrist to do anything with them. TCL works with Lensology for inserts, but that’s another $150+ added to an already expensive product.
Image clarity isn’t great: Without a prescription insert, there’s a noticeable blurriness to parts of the display. This isn’t a sharp, edge-to-edge experience. The sweet spot is narrow, and small misalignments can throw off the view.
Audio quirks: The built-in speakers produce okay sound in a quiet room, but the quality isn’t mind-blowing. I also ran into occasional static or popping sounds, which broke immersion. There’s no 3.5mm jack or Bluetooth option either, so you're stuck with what’s built in.
Overheating and eye fatigue: The glasses get noticeably warm after about 30 minutes. Not dangerously hot, but enough to be distracting. Extended sessions can also cause some eye strain — I started getting mild headaches after an hour or so of use.
Not really “XR”: Let’s be clear — these aren’t smart glasses or true augmented reality. There are no cameras, sensors, or context-aware features. They're essentially just external displays strapped to your face. TCL’s “XR” branding is more marketing than substance.
A Few Final Thoughts
TCL’s NXTWear S glasses are an interesting proof of concept, and I respect the ambition. But in practice, they fall short of being a truly enjoyable or practical solution. The image quality isn’t consistent, the comfort isn’t quite there, and the “XR” label feels misleading.
If you’re just after a portable screen, these might scratch the itch — especially when paired with a laptop or handheld gaming device. But for most people, just using your existing screen or investing in a decent pair of headphones will probably give you a better, more reliable experience.
They’re not awful — just not quite ready for prime time.
If, despite these considerations, you can check them out here if you’re still curious.
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