Gunnar has been making gaming glasses for years based on studies that reportedly show that blue light glasses help with eye fatigue. With that selling point, the company has carved a niche for itself in the space though further studies challenged those conclusions.
Since then, Gunnar has been pivoting, focusing on other lens innovations while also becoming more of a lifestyle brand focused on eyewear. It has created frames inspired by games such as “Fallout.” It has touted lenses for creatives with Clear Pro, which offers its technology without its amber color tint.
“We’re trying to save your eyes,” said Mike Volpe, director of marketing. This fall, it released another “Call of Duty” collaboration with Sun-Shift lenses that transition to a darker tint in 15 seconds and have thin flat frames that work well when using headsets.
Now, the company announced Venture, an new pair of electrochromic lenses, at CES. It works comparably to the Sun-Shift lens, but the change in tint happens instantly. Users can dial in their preferred tint setting. It can go from a normal pair of glasses to sunglasses to Gunnar’s trademark amber tint at the press of a button. It works through a thin liquid crystal layer in the lenses that opens and closes to let light through.
Because the glasses use electricity and other technologies, it requires a battery, which is built into the frames. Volpe said the batteries last for two weeks. The Venture is scheduled to launch in late 2025 for $250 and they initially won’t be available in prescription but that option will roll out later.
In addition to that, Gunnar also announced more video game collaboration with a Reaper frames tied to “Overwatch 2” and Sylvanas-themed frames for “World of Warcraft” fans.
