Review cover HyperX Spectre Stealth Glasses (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review

Get your glasses game on, with HyperX's line of blue-light filtering glasses.

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Having spent the majority of my adolescence and adulthood writing and gaming in front of a computer monitor, it was only a matter of time before all those late nights wound up affecting my vision. It was a slow process, beginning with being unable to see the writing on the whiteboard from the back of my freshman-year classroom, and ending up with me having to squint to see what in the world the name was on that freeway exit in 1/4 of a mile. I haven’t made the full transition over to glasses just quite yet, but at this point, it’s become something of an inevitability. Until that day comes, however, I find myself dealing with mild headaches and migraines after sitting for too long at my desk. 

According to the internet, those headaches can be a result of blue light, which is emanated by just about every screen out there. The solution for this, again according to the internet, is to use blue-light filtering glasses. These specialized glasses supposedly alleviate headaches by reducing the amount of blue-light that your eyes see, meaning less overall stress to your vision. Their legitimacy is still up for debate, with medical professionals either arguing for or against blue-light filtering glasses, but for now, companies are taking advantage of their rising popularity, especially when it comes to the gaming world. They’re an easy target demographic--gamers tend to spend inordinate amounts of time in front of monitors, TVs, phones, or handheld devices; thus, gamer glasses have proliferated the accessory market, whether it’s Gunnar, Klim, or in this case, HyperX. 

By this point in the review, there’s likely a few of you that are primed to scroll down to the bottom of this page, ready to type the exact phrase of, “But who needs these glasses! I have F.lux!” It’s a valid point, but it also doesn’t take into consideration the devices that don’t offer such accessibility options, and if you want to take it a step further, you might also consider that screens will always emit blue light, even if its output is toned down by software. Keeping those concepts in mind, let’s get down to business. 

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Above all else, HyperX’s Spectre glasses look nice. They’re not obnoxious or overly “gamer” in aesthetic. The frames are sleek, and their Stealth line even sports a lovely cherry-red tone at the bottom. They also don’t have the over-the-top yellow-toned lenses that other glasses in this category have, meaning you won’t have to go outside and get the occasional odd stare because you forgot to take off your urine-yellow colored glasses. Instead, their style and low-key lenses make them look like nice Rayban sunglasses from a distance. 

Which is a bit of a shame, given that the frames with the most pleasing appearance and focus on hardcore gaming are meant really only for those with larger heads. For whatever reason, the Black Cherry colored frames are only available in a medium or large size; otherwise, you’re stuck with the far more traditional Satin Black option. It’s hardly the biggest complaint to levy against the Spectres, but it’s a confusing decision nonetheless. Fortunately, HyperX offers a size chart for each and every variant of their gaming glasses lineup, so you won’t have to worry if you know your exact measurements. 

The frames themselves are quite comfortable, which is an important factor, given that you’re going to be wearing these for a large amount of time each day. You also won’t have to worry about how your headphones fit with the Spectre Stealth glasses on, as they’re designed with headset-wearing in mind. Even though the glasses were a little large for me, I quickly forgot I was even wearing them, when it came to comfort. The inner part of the frames taper perfectly to fit even a pair of bulky over-ear headphones without causing any pain or discomfort, which is probably the biggest point in the glasses’ favor. Should you really like the frames that HyperX has to offer, you can even customize the lenses through Lensabl, which allows you to choose whichever prescription you need. 

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While the glasses are made well, the included carrying case most certainly is not. It's hardly an important factor, but it is worth noting that the case meant to hold the Spectre Stealths is ridiculously cheap. I'd even go so far as recommending against using them and buying something that will actually protect your glasses. You can immediately tell that hardly any effort was put into the case, as the zipper is barely attached in the first place, and could easily be ripped off entirely. Then, you've got the material of the case, which for some indiscernible reason is soft and squishy. Should you keep your glasses in a backpack or carried alongside anything heavy, I'd fully expect the glasses to get dinged up in travel. 

When it comes to the overall function of the Spectre Stealth glasses, it's difficult to judge whether they do their job or not. I wasn't able to notice any drastic changes to my sleep quality, nor any lessening in frequency of headaches due to less exposure to blue-light. For all I know, the glasses eliminated tons of late-night computer eye-strain, and I just didn't notice, or perhaps the effect of blue-light just isn't as much of a big deal as some studies claim. At the very least, the Spectre Stealth look great, and they're more than comfortable to wear when playing games late into the night, with even the most bulkiest of headsets. Should you want a pair of blue-light filtering glasses that have a sleek appearance and pair well with headphones, you can't really go wrong with them.

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Great comfortability with headsets
  • They look nice and aren't garish
  • Filters blue-light without drastically compromising colors
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Carrying case is beyond cheap quality
  • Hard to tell if blue-light is an actual issue
7
out of 10

Overall

The Spectre Stealth are nice glasses, and if science can prove how harmful blue light is, then they're certain to be a great asset. Otherwise, they're fairly high priced.
A
might get some, i always wanted to wear glasses ever since i was a kid, but had no justification, and they are somewhat cheaper than just frames
 
OK, so I did try these out a year ago for a few days...and I just can't, especially since I don't normally wear glasses right now since my vision is 20/20 (or, at least, I think it still is). Sure, they might filter out blue light, but what I didn't ask for is to coat my vision with a yellowish filter not unlike that of another guy:



(there's a mod for the PC version of this game that removes the yellow filter, btw. I don't know if Mankind Divided had the same sort of thing going on with its visuals by default.)

And to give my opinion about it helping with one falling asleep? I doubt it's necessary given that my HTPC can be playing games, and when I have to fall asleep, I fall asleep no problem...but then again, maybe that's just me.
 
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Reactions: Julie_Pilgrim
Blue light filtering is total bullsh** with the exception of the possible influence on sleep.

Also, any serious article or review for a product that involves human physiology should never contain the sentence "According to the internet..."
 
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