A side-by-side 3D movie opened on an ordinary monitor shows two copies of the same scene next to each other, often squeezed to half their width. Display glasses with an SBS 3D mode turn that frame into depth by showing the left copy to the left eye and the right copy to the right eye. Among RayNeo's AR glasses, RayNeo GT Max is the pick for this mix: its 3D mode plays SBS films directly from compatible video sources, a two-button press switches between 2D and 3D, and the RayNeo HDMI Adapter brings PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S games onto the same glasses.
RayNeo Air 4 Pro also supports native 3D and side-by-side 3D content, and connects to consoles through the same HDMI Adapter. It suits viewers who want a simpler pair with a screen that stays in front of them, while GT Max adds a wider 59° view and native 3DoF.
What a side-by-side file looks like before the glasses split it
A stereoscopic film is recorded or rendered as two slightly different views of each scene, one for each eye. The small horizontal shift between the two views is what the brain reads as depth, the same cue it uses with two eyes in everyday life.
Side-by-side, or SBS, is a widely used way to store those two views in one ordinary video file. In the layout the glasses expect, each frame holds the left-eye image on the left half and the right-eye image on the right half. Because the two views travel inside a normal video frame, an SBS file is a regular video file that standard video players can open.
On a regular screen, the result looks like a mistake: two near-identical pictures side by side, sometimes stretched tall and thin. On display glasses in 3D mode, the left half goes to the left eye and the right half to the right eye, and the two combine into one picture with depth.
This is also why the source matters. The 3D effect comes from the file itself, so a film needs to be in SBS 3D format to begin with. The glasses' SBS mode is made for films already in that format, and regular films are watched in 2D mode.
Switching GT Max between 2D and 3D
On GT Max and GT, 3D is built into the glasses themselves. Pressing the Volume Button and the Spatial Mode Button at the same time switches the display between 2D and 3D, and 3D mode can also be turned on from the glasses' settings menu. Once it is on, the glasses play SBS 3D video directly from a compatible source, such as a laptop, phone or handheld with USB-C video output, or an HDMI device through the adapter.
A typical film routine on GT Max or GT:
- Connect the source and start the SBS film in its usual player.
- Switch the player to full screen.
- Give the Volume and Spatial Mode Buttons one press together, and the picture moves into 3D.
- The same pair, pressed again, brings back 2D when the film ends or a menu needs reading.
On Air 4 Pro, 3D is part of the feature set as well. It supports native 3D and is built to unlock deeper layers with side-by-side 3D, so SBS films are part of what it is made to play.
For a broader look at 3D viewing across RayNeo glasses, including spatial video, the guide to the best 3D glasses for movies and gaming covers the wider category.
PS5 and Xbox evenings on GT Max
Consoles such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S send their picture over HDMI, and GT Max and GT take video over USB-C. The RayNeo HDMI Adapter bridges the two. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and computers with an HDMI output are the representative devices for this route, and PS4 also reaches GT Max through the adapter.
Setting it up takes three steps:
- Plug the RayNeo HDMI Adapter directly into the console's HDMI output port.
- Connect the adapter to GT Max or GT with the USB-C cable that comes with the glasses.
- Turn on the console. The glasses power on and show the console's video output.
Traced from end to end, the picture leaves the console's HDMI port, passes through the HDMI Adapter and reaches the glasses over their own USB-C cable. Sold separately, the adapter has a 1080p mode at 120Hz that lines up with the Full HD panels inside the glasses, next to 4K and 2K modes that both run at 30Hz.
Console games play as a regular 2D picture on a very large virtual screen. After a gaming session, the same glasses connect back to a laptop or phone for an SBS film by moving the cable, so one pair covers both evenings. For an Xbox-specific walkthrough with GT Max, see using smart glasses with Xbox.
Air 4 Pro reaches PS5 and Xbox the same way, and it is also sold in a bundle with the HDMI Adapter.
Films and games on one pair
A 3D-and-gaming setup usually mixes four kinds of content, and each reaches the glasses by its own path.
On GT Max and GT, two habits keep the mix smooth. SBS films are easiest to enjoy with the glasses switched to 3D as playback starts, and console sessions run in 2D, so pressing the two buttons when the kind of content changes keeps the glasses in the right mode.
GT Max or Air 4 Pro for this mix
GT Max is best for viewers who split their evenings between 3D films and console games and want the widest view of the three models for both. Its 59° field of view gives SBS films and open-world games room to fill the view. Native 3DoF keeps the screen steady as the head moves, reducing unwanted visual movement for a more comfortable experience over long films and long sessions. The two-button switch means the glasses move between a film night in 3D and a game night in 2D without opening a menu.
Air 4 Pro is best for viewers who want a simpler pair with a screen that stays in front of the eyes. It supports native 3D and side-by-side 3D content, takes console HDMI through the same adapter, and has its own bundle with the HDMI Adapter. Its HDR10 Micro-OLED display adds depth to compatible HDR films and games when the source material and output device support HDR10, such as PCs, Macs, iPhone and Switch 2.
RayNeo GT uses the same 2D and 3D button combination and the same HDMI route as GT Max, with a 46° view in a lighter frame, for viewers who want the GT Series controls with less weight on the face.
3D-and-console FAQ
What is the difference between full SBS and half SBS files?
Both store the left-eye and right-eye views side by side in one frame. A full SBS file keeps each view at full horizontal resolution, so the whole frame is twice as wide as a normal video. A half SBS file squeezes both views into a frame of normal width, so each view has half the horizontal detail and is stretched back out on playback. Half SBS keeps the file at a standard frame size, while full SBS stores more horizontal pixels for each eye. These are general format definitions, and the file's own encoding sets how much detail it actually carries.
A media player or computer that outputs its picture over HDMI connects to GT Max and GT through the RayNeo HDMI Adapter, just like a console. GT Max and GT support turning on 3D mode in the glasses and watching SBS 3D video sources directly, so the same two-button switch applies when the SBS film comes from an HDMI player. The 3D mode is built around the side-by-side layout, so the file or stream should be in SBS 3D format.
Can the same 3D film be watched in 2D?
Pressing the Volume Button and the Spatial Mode Button together again returns GT Max or GT to 2D. When the player still sends the untouched side-by-side frame, the glasses in 2D show the two images next to each other, so for a flat viewing a regular 2D version of the same title is the simpler choice.
A side-by-side 3D movie opened on an ordinary monitor shows two copies of the same scene next to each other, often squeezed to half their width. Display glasses with an SBS 3D mode turn that frame into depth by showing the left copy to the left eye and the right copy to the right eye. Among RayNeo's AR glasses, RayNeo GT Max is the pick for this mix: its 3D mode plays SBS films directly from compatible video sources, a two-button press switches between 2D and 3D, and the RayNeo HDMI Adapter brings PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S games onto the same glasses.
RayNeo Air 4 Pro also supports native 3D and side-by-side 3D content, and connects to consoles through the same HDMI Adapter. It suits viewers who want a simpler pair with a screen that stays in front of them, while GT Max adds a wider 59° view and native 3DoF.
What a side-by-side file looks like before the glasses split it
A stereoscopic film is recorded or rendered as two slightly different views of each scene, one for each eye. The small horizontal shift between the two views is what the brain reads as depth, the same cue it uses with two eyes in everyday life.
Side-by-side, or SBS, is a widely used way to store those two views in one ordinary video file. In the layout the glasses expect, each frame holds the left-eye image on the left half and the right-eye image on the right half. Because the two views travel inside a normal video frame, an SBS file is a regular video file that standard video players can open.
On a regular screen, the result looks like a mistake: two near-identical pictures side by side, sometimes stretched tall and thin. On display glasses in 3D mode, the left half goes to the left eye and the right half to the right eye, and the two combine into one picture with depth.
This is also why the source matters. The 3D effect comes from the file itself, so a film needs to be in SBS 3D format to begin with. The glasses' SBS mode is made for films already in that format, and regular films are watched in 2D mode.
Switching GT Max between 2D and 3D
On GT Max and GT, 3D is built into the glasses themselves. Pressing the Volume Button and the Spatial Mode Button at the same time switches the display between 2D and 3D, and 3D mode can also be turned on from the glasses' settings menu. Once it is on, the glasses play SBS 3D video directly from a compatible source, such as a laptop, phone or handheld with USB-C video output, or an HDMI device through the adapter.
A typical film routine on GT Max or GT:
On Air 4 Pro, 3D is part of the feature set as well. It supports native 3D and is built to unlock deeper layers with side-by-side 3D, so SBS films are part of what it is made to play.
For a broader look at 3D viewing across RayNeo glasses, including spatial video, the guide to the best 3D glasses for movies and gaming covers the wider category.
PS5 and Xbox evenings on GT Max
Consoles such as PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S send their picture over HDMI, and GT Max and GT take video over USB-C. The RayNeo HDMI Adapter bridges the two. PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and computers with an HDMI output are the representative devices for this route, and PS4 also reaches GT Max through the adapter.
Setting it up takes three steps:
Traced from end to end, the picture leaves the console's HDMI port, passes through the HDMI Adapter and reaches the glasses over their own USB-C cable. Sold separately, the adapter has a 1080p mode at 120Hz that lines up with the Full HD panels inside the glasses, next to 4K and 2K modes that both run at 30Hz.
Console games play as a regular 2D picture on a very large virtual screen. After a gaming session, the same glasses connect back to a laptop or phone for an SBS film by moving the cable, so one pair covers both evenings. For an Xbox-specific walkthrough with GT Max, see using smart glasses with Xbox.
Air 4 Pro reaches PS5 and Xbox the same way, and it is also sold in a bundle with the HDMI Adapter.
Films and games on one pair
A 3D-and-gaming setup usually mixes four kinds of content, and each reaches the glasses by its own path.
On GT Max and GT, two habits keep the mix smooth. SBS films are easiest to enjoy with the glasses switched to 3D as playback starts, and console sessions run in 2D, so pressing the two buttons when the kind of content changes keeps the glasses in the right mode.
GT Max or Air 4 Pro for this mix
GT Max is best for viewers who split their evenings between 3D films and console games and want the widest view of the three models for both. Its 59° field of view gives SBS films and open-world games room to fill the view. Native 3DoF keeps the screen steady as the head moves, reducing unwanted visual movement for a more comfortable experience over long films and long sessions. The two-button switch means the glasses move between a film night in 3D and a game night in 2D without opening a menu.
Air 4 Pro is best for viewers who want a simpler pair with a screen that stays in front of the eyes. It supports native 3D and side-by-side 3D content, takes console HDMI through the same adapter, and has its own bundle with the HDMI Adapter. Its HDR10 Micro-OLED display adds depth to compatible HDR films and games when the source material and output device support HDR10, such as PCs, Macs, iPhone and Switch 2.
RayNeo GT uses the same 2D and 3D button combination and the same HDMI route as GT Max, with a 46° view in a lighter frame, for viewers who want the GT Series controls with less weight on the face.
3D-and-console FAQ
What is the difference between full SBS and half SBS files?
Can a media player connected over HDMI supply the 3D films?
Can the same 3D film be watched in 2D?
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