I saw Razer's AI headphones, and they could be the perfect alternative to smart glasses

CES is always home to some of the most experimental tech of the year, and that’s thanks in part to Razer. Last year, Razer stole the show with its Project Arielle gaming chair with heating and cooling controls. For CES 2026, Razer’s latest concept device is something even wilder: AI headphones.

Every company is indeed cramming AI into as many devices and form factors as possible, so I’d forgive you if your knee-jerk reaction is to write off Razer’s AI headphones (known as Project Motoko) as just more AI nonsense. But having seen Project Motoko in action, Razer’s actually created something really interesting and worthwhile.

Similar to smart glasses like Meta Ray-Ban, Project Motoko is designed to see the world around you and provide helpful, contextual information when you need it; the main difference is that you get that experience through headphones rather than glasses. This is possible thanks to two field-of-view cameras built into the headphones that capture the world through a first-person view, not unlike what you see with your eyes. It’s similar to smart glasses, but Razr says the headphone form factor places the cameras closer to eye level than glasses do, which is meant to make them more accurate and reliable when interpreting a menu, street sign, etc.

As for what those cameras can do, it’s a typical smart glasses-style setup. In my demo session, we used Project Motoko to translate a Japanese menu into English (which worked quite well). Beyond simple translation, Motoko could also see how much a specific item costs, compare it to how much money you have, and determine whether you have enough money for that item. The headphones can also provide weather updates, give you turn-by-turn directions, and more. What’s really cool is that Project Motoko isn’t tied to one specific AI assistant. Instead, you can freely use them with Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Meta, etc.

Some basic functions, such as checking your calendar, run natively on the headphones. However, for more complex tasks or those that require an internet connection, Project Motoko must be paired with a phone or computer.

If this all sounds like things you can do with smart glasses, you’re right, and that’s the whole point. The existing features and functions of smart glasses are strong, but the form factor can be somewhat awkward. For all the progress companies have made with slimming down smart glasses and making them look less techy, you can still usually tell a pair of smart glasses apart from “normal” ones.

That’s not an issue with Project Motoko. For all intents and purposes, these look like regular, everyday headphones. Visually, they don’t look different from any other pair of wireless headphones, and on the head, they feel about the same, too. As someone who likes the idea of smart glasses but doesn’t necessarily want everyone around me to know I’m wearing them, adding that experience to a pair of headphones is really enticing.

Razer hasn’t said whether or when it will begin selling Project Motoko, or how much the headphones might cost. Having seen Project Motoko for myself, I certainly hope Razer continues to develop it toward a full release.

Not only does Project Motoko seem to work quite well in its current form, but it also makes me really excited to see where Razer could go next. Slimmer over-ear headphones? Maybe even wireless earbuds with Project Motoko’s full capabilities? We’re probably quite a ways off from that happening, but Razer has now put the wheels in motion for a lot of exciting possibilities, and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.