Review: GUNNAR Overwatch Ultimate and D.Va Tokki Edition

I went back and forth on whether I wanted to review these glasses individually or as a single article. But, I realized that with GUNNAR’s new collaboration with Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch (or is it Overwatch 2?), it’d be a great way to compare two very different styles and price ranges properly.

Both pairs have pros and cons, but each in very different ways. I’m a big fan of Blizzard games and its history, so I feel like I can see this whole review from a different perspective than most.

What’s in the box?

As with most GUNNAR frames, you’re treated to more than just a pair of glasses in a box. Both pairs come with the usual microfiber pouch and cleaning cloth.

I did a little research and all of the art used in this collab is from Overwatch 2. But, an interesting note is that the cleaning cloth that comes with the Overwatch Ultimate may be from some very early Overwatch 2 key art that had leaked originally before the game’s launch. 

Since GUNNAR doesn’t often credit the artists on their cleaning cloths, I’m unsure who did it. However, some people online believe the key art was originally done by Blizzard concept artist Nesskain. 

I wish GUNNAR would credit the artists somewhere, as I’m still curious who did the Groot art in the wooden Groot pair from earlier this year. The rest of the art seems to be on the pouch, albeit missing Genji (aside from his fingertips) and my main Brigitte (aside from her ponytail) from the original art due to being cut off.

Since the Overwatch Ultimate is on the most cost-effective side of GUNNAR glasses, that’s all it comes with. The D.Va Tokki Edition, on the other hand, also comes with a unique glasses case.

While most higher-priced GUNNAR glasses generally come with a case, they tend to be full-shell and encapsulate the glasses. Varying in shapes and capabilities, it was a surprise to see such a different inclusion this time around.

This case is a single button that has cushioning that wraps around the lenses themselves instead of protecting the entire frame. Upon some Googling, they’re known as Any Di SunShades and, when they’re made by the original brand, can cost well over $100 just for the case.

Meanwhile, the usual Amazon knockoffs of the same case tend to be under $10. The GUNNAR option doesn’t appear to be real leather and doesn’t actually protect anything other than the lenses, so I assume they’re meant to be a stylistic throw-in more than anything actually useful. I’ll talk about my thoughts on why I think they went this route later.

All in all, the accessories were nothing to write home about. But, they get the job done.

Tech in the Specs (or, Holding a Lens Up to These Glasses)

If you’re new to my GUNNAR reviews, I have to go through the usual laundry list of what GUNNAR does to make themselves so good. If you’ve read my reviews before, this all should sound familiar.

GUNNAR glasses, no matter the style or lens, have special coatings that offer anti-reflective, anti-glare, anti-water, and anti-smudge. Oh, and of course, they’re blue-light blocking for gaming and computer usage. Needless to say, the coatings are not always perfect, especially that supposed anti-smudge coating that never seems to work well. But, that aside, they tend to do as advertised.

The glasses are designed to not only help with blue light but offer some protection from your eyes drying out. After plenty of usage, both of these pairs do exactly that.

Unfortunately, GUNNAR is keeping its new Clear Pro lenses away from licensed offerings. But, you can still get the 35 Clear option and the 65 Amber option, as well as various prescription-exclusive lenses. Both pairs I was sent for review here are in the classic un-prescribed Amber since I wear glasses for protection and not bad eyesight. 

Some people may want their lens to go with the style. I think the Overwatch Ultimate frame looks pretty good with the Amber. The D.Va Tokki Edition, on the other hand, might actually look a little better in the Clear due to the colors of the frames. 

Nothing out of the ordinary comes to mind aside from that. But, it’s worth mentioning.

GUNNAR Overwatch Ultimate

Let’s start off our deep dive with the cheaper of the two Overwatch pairs here, the Overwatch Ultimate. It’ll allow me to explain why this particular style is so good and then be able to compare it to the much pricier D.Va Tokki Edition. With that said, cheaper does not necessarily mean cheap.

More often than not, the glasses I review here at Comfy Cozy Gaming tend to be on the “over $100” side of the fence. The Overwatch Ultimate offers some great functionality for not too much money.

Visibly, I’m going to be honest: they’re pretty bland and boxy. If you’re looking for something cute, these are way more utilitarian than you’re likely wanting. Since this pair doesn’t actually name the colors like other GUNNAR frames do, it’s a dark gray and bright Overwatch Orange on the part directly on your ears. 

However, where they lack in looks, they are surprisingly comfortable for their price range.

I expected them to be rigid and strict to a head shape. This pair has “sturdy multi-barrel hinges”, according to their website, which is exactly what that usually means. But, the material they used for the frame is bendy, similar to their old, discontinued PPK option. So, they get a win for utilizing that in lieu of the harder material, unlike what the “Diablo IV, Sanctuary Edition” did.

Since this isn’t one of their higher-priced options, the nose is molded well but doesn’t have any special padding or anything. That’s okay though. They fit similarly to the recent Humbolt from the Arbor Collection and that’s why they’re getting high cozy marks from me.

Due to the flexibility, they’re also really comfy when wearing a headset. So, while they might not be great for presentation, they really feel nice when worn in any instance.

GUNNAR Overwatch D.Va Tokki Edition

I’m going to start by saying that this pair is not a bad frame by any stretch. In a vacuum, they’re pretty great. But, where the GUNNAR Overwatch D.Va Tokki Edition has plenty of style and pizazz, it lacks the meltingly smooth comfort and high functionality offered by other models in this price range. 

As mentioned, they look great. They’re a cat eye style and the light blue and pink color scheme is bound to make both D.Va fans and the trans community really happy. Even if you aren’t a fan of Overwatch, they’re adorable.

But, that’s where the praise starts to falter. Being that these are from the $125 price tier of glasses, they seem to have taken “style without substance” to heart.

I spoke about the case earlier, which seems to be directly based on a designer brand of glasses cases. But, why did they go this route?

The Overwatch D.Va Tokki Edition seems to be nearly the size and shape of GUNNAR’s recent tokidoki collaboration. Specifically, they’re nearly identical to the SANDy pair, which we didn’t have a lot of good things to say about. Those glasses came with a great enclosed case that they didn’t actually fit into and would not clasp. Those frames, also like these, don’t properly close when you’re trying to fold the arms.

When testing, the shape impedes the magnet from catching on nearly all of GUNNAR’s case options, save for one. They fit swimmingly into the case size offered for the Tallac and the Fallout Vault 33 pairs, which is a little bulkier. I feel like they could have gone big and mecha-feeling with the case, had they thought of it, and it wouldn’t have been a problem.

Aside from the odd case choice, they also are rigid and unmoving. Whereas the Overwatch Ultimate pair found a flexible material to counteract that, these fall into the same pitfalls that some other GUNNAR glasses do for people (like me) who have larger heads.

The nose of the glasses is nearly identical to the Overwatch Ultimate. So, they get points there. But, not having any flexibility really holds them back at this price range.

Needless to say, I’m just overly picky when it comes to what’s on my face. But, they’re bound to get some heads turned in your direction from the vibrant colors, cute bunny emblems, D.Va’s sponsorships on the temples, and great-looking style. 

As I stated, there’s nothing really wrong with these glasses as a whole. They’re not really uncomfortable or anything. They just, when compared to other glasses, seem to exist instead of doing more with them. They seem to be too focused on making random D.Va references than anything else.

I just wouldn’t have expected this to be in their over-$100 range. If the price were lower, the score would be much higher. But, you can get so many great pairs of glasses from GUNNAR for the same price with way more functionality.

Final Verdict

All in all, the Overwatch offerings from GUNNAR aren’t bad. Knowing how hardcore GUNNAR is willing to go for a license, such as the tokidoki Year of the Dragon and Fallout Vault 33 frames, they just feel like they could have been better.

If you’re on a budget, the Overwatch Ultimate glasses are only $65, which is ridiculously low for the capabilities and functionality they bring to the table. They’re just visually bland and uninspired.

As for the Overwatch D.Va Tokki Edition frames, they’re all style. If you’re looking for incredibly cute glasses, they will fit the bill. But, you’re paying $125 for the looks and licensing to feel a little like everyone’s favorite fictional ex-eSports star.

If you’re looking for some awesome and stylish glasses that have some of the best lenses I’ve ever tried, you need to check out GUNNAR’s Clear Pro options, such as the Arbor Collection or the new Strata Collection.