Gunnar might have defined the category of gaming glasses, but plenty of other companies offer their own takes on computer-friendly, blue light-blocking eyewear. Many major glasses manufacturers offer some form of blue light tint, but even computer hardware and peripheral companies are getting in on it. HyperX, a division of Kingston, offers its own gaming glasses, simply called HyperX Gaming Eyewear. These are well-made, comfortable glasses that reduce blue light without drastically shifting colors. At $99.99 for a non-prescription pair, and with only one option for frame shape and tint, they’re a bit more expensive and much more limited than Gunnar’s extensive offerings. But if you prefer the styling, they're a good alternative.

The Frames

HyperX Gaming Eyewear comes in one single, unisex, rectangular lens frame design with four different color options: black, clear, tortoiseshell, and a black-to-red gradient. The frame is acrylic, with an integrated bridge for the nose, and slightly springy metal hinges.

Besides white, painted-on HyperX logos on the temples, nothing about these glasses screams “gamer;” they simply look like modest, fashionably chunky glasses you might wear anywhere. The lack of any other frame choices is a bit disappointing, though, considering the wealth of options in shapes and materials Gunnar offers.

The Lenses

The standard HyperX Gaming Eyewear doesn’t have a prescription, but you can get the glasses in your prescription through Spective. Corrective lenses approximately double the price of the glasses to about $200, and you can use vision insurance. HyperX sent me a non-corrective pair of Gaming Eyewear to test; I’m nearsighted and use prescription glasses to watch TV and play console games, but I don’t typically use glasses at my desk or when playing handheld games.

The non-prescription Gaming Eyewear lenses are completely neutral, and don't add any magnification. This is different from most non-prescription Gunnar glasses, which add a very minor magnification factor. While the Gunnar magnification might help gamers with good eyesight, I always find it to slightly strain my eyes, which are used to my prescription lenses or focusing on closer objects without any correction (Gunnar’s prescription glasses, like all prescription computer eyewear, don’t present that problem for me). The lack of any magnification on the HyperX Gaming Eyewear is a welcome change, and I had no problem focusing on text on my monitor while writing this review.

The lenses in the Gaming Eyewear are designed to reduce blue light, like most gaming and computer glasses. HyperX doesn’t specify how much blue light the lenses cut out, but they have a very slight tint that clearly warms up cool whites on computer monitors a tiny bit. The tint appears to be a bit more subtle than Gunnar’s clear lenses, which block 35 percent of blue light. Colors generally look natural and don’t appear skewed or overly warm through the glasses. The lenses also offer complete UVA and UVB protection, and feature a water- and oil-repellent coating.

Accessories

HyperX includes two convenient ways to store your Gaming Eyewear. The glasses come with the standard cloth drawstring pouch that doubles as a microfiber lens cloth, along with a hard-shell, zip-up case that keeps the glasses protected from bumps and scratches.

Performance

I wore the Gaming Eyewear glasses on and off over a week at my desk. I found the frames to be light and comfortable on my face for long periods of staring at my monitor. The lens coatings worked well enough that the glasses didn’t pick up any smears after being tossed around my desk, and wiped clean whenever I noticed dust on them.

The subtle lens tint just slightly cut down the coolness of a white word processor screen, but even that small amount helped reduce eye strain. Working at home, I was unable to test how the glasses handle harsh overhead fluorescent lighting, but the tint should warm that up slightly, too. It might not be enough of a tint if you’re particularly sensitive to blue light, but I found it comfortable without significantly skewing colors.

Rest Your Eyes

HyperX’s Gaming Eyewear is a simple, comfortable, well-built pair of glasses. The lenses are clear, the frames are light and sturdy, and the tint cuts a good balance between reducing blue light and keeping colors accurate. The lack of options beyond a single, fairly plain acrylic frame is disappointing, though, and at $100 they’re a fair bit pricier than most non-prescription Gunnar glasses (which range from $60 to $80). Still, if you like the style, these are very good gaming glasses to help ease your eyes.