A good entry to the world of spatial computing

Augmented reality (AR) glasses have been around for quite some time, but they’re having a bit of a Eureka moment now following the announcement of Apple’s Vision Pro headset. I’ve come across more AR glasses over the last few weeks on my social media feed and in my inbox than I’ve collectively seen in all these years of covering tech. I am not complaining, though, because many of these new pair of glasses are genuinely impressive. The XREAL Air 2 is definitely one of the more interesting AR glasses out there that enables spatial computing for $400 and no lead times.

Having spent the last few weeks with XREAL Air 2 and trying it with many devices, I’d happily recommend these to someone who’s willing to buy a pair of fancy glasses to experience spatial computing. It works as advertised to put a high-resolution display right in front of your eyes for both entertainment and productivity. The problem, however, is that AR glasses are still very niche and the XREAL Air 2 doesn’t do anything out of the ordinary or convincingly well to become the breakout product we need in the mainstream market. It offers a more polished and well-rounded experience than some other AR glasses I’ve tried in the past, but it’s far from a category-defining product we need at the moment to make people take AR and spacial computing more seriously.

About this review: XREAL sent me a pair of Air 2 glasses for testing and did not have any input into its contents.

XREAL Air 2: Pricing and availability

The XREAL Air 2 recently went on sale in the U.S. and is readily available to purchase now from the company’s website. These glasses are priced at $399, and you can get them with black or red colored frames. XREAL also has an optional bundle for $499 that gets you a pair of Air 2 glasses and its Beam accessory to improve your overall experience. I wish the Beam accessory was included with the glasses themselves as it’s crucial to the overall experience, but it’s sadly an additional purchase. XREAL’s official website is currently the only place to buy these glasses from, but it’s said to be available on Amazon soon.

Hardware and design

More of the same

The Air 2 looks very similar to the original Nreal Air AR glasses, which my colleague Ben reviewed last year. XREAL has barely made any changes to the overall design, meaning you’re looking at an identical pair that borrows from the iconic Ray-Ban Wayfarer look. These glasses are definitely a bit on the bigger side, but at least they’re not as obnoxious as, say, the Rokid Max glasses, which tend to attract a lot of attention for looking like it came straight out of a sci-fi flick.

The XREAL Air 2 is very comfortable to wear thanks to its lightweight design, and I could wear these for hours at a stretch without any issues. You also get multiple nose pieces that are easy to install, so finding the right fit for a comfortable experience with the Air 2 won’t be an issue. The soft-touch nose pads also allowed me to wear these glasses for long durations without any issues. I wish it had adjustable diopters like the ones you get on some other AR glasses like the Viture One XR and Rokid Max to let you match each lens to your vision prescription, but that’s not really the case here. So you either have to spend more money to order lens inserts through XREAL partners or simply get contact lenses instead. You can also just put on the Air 2 over your regular glasses, but it makes them very uncomfortable to wear.

I personally had absolutely no issues wearing these glasses for long durations, save for the eye fatigue I felt due to the display being so close to my eyes over a long duration. The frame itself was very comfortable with no discomfort around my nose or the temple area. The USB-C cable sticking out of the left side temple stick makes it a bit awkward to wear the glasses while resting your head in some positions, but it’s nothing you can’t adjust or get used to over time. A part of me wishes it had a magnetic connector like the one seen on Viture One glasses that would automatically detach if the wire gets stuck on something while you move, but the USB-C connector is definitely more convenient as it allows me to carry one fewer cable.

Display

Excellent displays make these glasses a joy to use

XREAL’s Air 2, believe it or not, comes with a relatively smaller display units compared to the ones you get on its predecessor. The new ones come with smaller 0.55-inch micro-OLED panels as opposed to 0.68-inch panels, though the 120Hz peak refresh rate and the 1080p resolution per eye remain the same. The newer panels are on the Air 2 glasses also peak at 500 nits brightness as opposed to 400 nits. The overall quality of the displays themselves is quite good with rich and vibrant colors and great sharpness. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this display while using for everything from playing games and watching videos to reading books and typing out long articles like this one for work.

Unlike its “Pro” sibling, the regular Air 2 glasses lack the electrochromic feature with which the lens can darken on its own to block out the outside world. It instead comes with a physical lens cap to cover the glasses and block out the transparency. This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker considering the display gets bright enough to be comfortably viewed outdoors or at places where there’s an ambient light. I found myself using the glasses with the lens cap on for the most part anyway as I barely wore them while, say, moving or while talking to someone where I would need the transparency.

I am not a huge fan of the distance of the display from your eyes, and its overall size can be adjusted only using the Nebula software. This means you can’t adjust either of those when you’re simply using the glasses as an external monitor for your console, computer, and more. I didn’t find the display to be at an awkward distance or anything, but it would’ve been nice to have the option to adjust. There is a handy rocker on the right arm of the glasses that lets you adjust the brightness, though, but that also means that you can only adjust the speaker volume via the source device.

The XREAL Air 2, just like the Viture One glasses, feature 3DoF head tracking, which allows you to essentially “pin” the display at a particular spot relative to your head. It’s useful for when you want to watch something on the side while you’re doing something IRL or talking to someone and don’t want the display to be right in front of your eyes all the time. I could use this only while using the glasses with the Nebula app or when paired with the optional Beam accessory, though.

Sound

Leaves a lot to be desired

There’s nothing to write home about the speakers on the Air 2 glasses. There’s a distinct lack of bass in the audio coming out of these speakers, and it didn’t get loud enough for a comfortable listening experience for me either. I had a hard time listening to the media when I wore it outdoors once, and I had to use my earbuds to continue watching the video. You’ll definitely need a pair of earbuds to enjoy any media, so keep that in mind. The built-in speakers, I’d say, are only good for when you’re in an isolated room with not much noise, and they’re not going to be much use when you’re on board a flight with loud engines.

The speakers on the Viture One XR glasses easily sound better than the ones you get on the XREAL Air 2. That being said, I am yet to try a pair of AR glasses with good-sounding speakers, so it appears to be a universal limitation owing to the small size of these side arms. Just be prepared to use a pair of earbuds or an external speaker while consuming media on the Air 2 glasses.

Connectivity and software

More complicated than it has to be

The XREAL Air 2 glasses, in case you’re wondering, are compatible with a bunch of platforms, including Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, and more. I was even able to use it with my PlayStation 5 (with Beam accessory) and Steam Deck without any issues, and you should be able to connect it to your Xbox, Chromebooks, ROG Ally, and more. I also love that it’s just plug-and-play on most devices, meaning the glasses will instantly boot as an external display for the source devices like MacBook, Steam Deck, and more. Here’s a quick look at the various connectivity options you get for the XREAL Air 2 glasses, along with the information about the mode of connection.

You can also use XREAL’s Nebula software to get a better experience with the glasses, but the app is limited to just Android and macOS at the time of writing this review. This means you’re limited to using the glasses as just an external display with other devices for now. The Nebula app itself works differently on both Android and macOS, which further convolutes the entire experience. The Android app delivers a true AR experience under what XREAL calls the XR Space. There’s not much to “experience” here, and it’s mostly just a software interface with a few handy widgets for things like messages, web browser, photos, and more.

The Nebula app on macOS, on the other hand, simply allows you to enter a virtual desktop environment in which you can mirror your Mac’s display or create a multi-monitor setup with up to three displays. This is where you get the option to adjust the distance of the displays from your eyes, their sizes, and more. You even get to pick between 72Hz or 90Hz refresh rate depending on how smooth you want the display to be, and they both worked very well despite having as many as three full displays. I did run into some occasional errors and app freezes forcing me to restart the app, so it definitely needs more time in the oven.

Granted there’s no need to have multiple smartphone displays in front of you at any given point, but what about the AR experiences on the macOS app? Not to mention, there’s no word on the availability of the stable release of Nebula on Windows, which means you can’t experience the virtual desktop environment on Windows right now. The overall software experience feels like it’s all over the place right now, and the lack of Nebula app on Windows is truly a bummer. You can, however, still use the glasses as an external display to get a more immersive experience overall for work and play, but the software leaves me wanting more.

I personally spent most of time testing and using the glasses with my Android phone (OnePlus Open), an M1 MacBook Air, and Steam Deck. Using the Nebula app on macOS to a virtual desktop experience was great, and it’s legit something I could get used to provided I take frequent breaks from staring at massive displays so close to my eyes. The overall gaming experience on XREAL Air 2 while tethered to a Steam Deck and a PlayStation 5 was also great for the most part with beautiful visuals and high refresh rate gaming. It works flawlessly with handheld gaming consoles like the Steam Deck without needing an accessory, but those wanting to pair the glasses to, say, a PlayStation 5 will need the $120 Beam accessory, which is an additional purchase.

Spider-Man 2 as seen through XREAL Air 2 glasses.

The XREAL Air 2, I’d say, is a perfect accessory for handheld gaming consoles as it instantly gives you a significantly bigger and better-looking display compared to the one you get on your Steam Deck or ROG Ally. The experience is far more immersive compared to gaming on the built-in display, and you don’t need any additional accessories either for it to work.

Should you buy the XREAL Air 2?

You should buy the XREAL Air 2 if:

• This is your first time trying AR glasses and want something simple to get started.
• You are a frequent traveler who wants a private screen for media consumption.
• If you’re looking to step up your handheld gaming experience with a bigger and better display.

You shouldn’t buy the XREAL Air 2 if:

• You’re looking for an affordable device to experience AR.
• You’re looking for a reliable software experience with dedicated AR experiences.
• You’re not comfortable splurging on additional accessories on top of buying the glasses themselves.

The XREAL Air 2 is a great entry point for those looking to dip their toes into the world of AR. It’s definitely better than its predecessor thanks to newer displays that improve the overall experience, and it works as advertised to deliver an immersive experience overall as long as you don’t rely on the software to rope you into the world of AR. These glasses leave a lot to be desired in the software department, though. The companion Nebula app is not even available on Windows yet, and even the existing apps for Android and macOS feel like they need more time in the oven.

The $400 price tag makes it cheaper than both Viture One XR and Rokid Max AR glasses, though, and that’s a huge advantage going in favor of the Air 2. It falls a bit short in some areas, but things like its plug-and-play nature with a lot of devices, the ability to create a virtual desktop environment, and a beautiful, high refresh-rate display makes it worth considering. It also doubles as a fantastic accessory to pair with your handheld gaming consoles and is, quite honestly, a great pickup just for that in my opinion.

XREAL Air 2

Works as advertised

The XREAL Air 2 is one of the latest pairs of AR glasses to have entered the market that works with a variety of devices to enable spatial computing. It works as advertised to deliver a good AR experience, but it’s not going to make you feel any different about AR glasses or convince you to go out and buy a pair immediately.

Speakers

Dual open speakers

Weight

2.54 ounces (72 grams)

Refresh rate

Up to 120Hz

Resolution

1920×1080 per eye

Field of view

46 degrees

Connectivity

USB-C port