The next generation of augmented reality glasses are finally coming to western regions. After already being available in Japan, the XReal Air 2 is making its UK and US debut.
Following on from the impressive-but-shaky XReal Air, originally called NReal Air, the newly branded follow-up aims to improve upon its predecessor in almost every single way.
The XReal Air 2 augmented reality glasses feature a much-improved micro-OLED display, offering a greatly increased pixel density that will make text more readable and also reduce headaches. In our review of the original smart spectacles, this was an issue.
“XREAL Air 2 series AR glasses pack an incredible 4,032 pixels-per-inch, delivering a crisp and visually stunning virtual screen experience at 49 pixels-per-degree (PPD),” reads the glasses’ press release.
The new augmented reality glasses will allow for a 1920x1080p resolution per eye with an “ultra-high contrast ratio”. With 500-nit brightness, the glasses will even be visible in peak daylight, a great improvement over the original smart glasses.
“Each Micro-OLED display has been precisely calibrated to meet the Gamma 2.2 standard so that wearers can enjoy accurate color reproduction without sacrificing image quality,” reads the glasses’ press release. “XREAL Air 2 series AR glasses have a response rate speed of 0.01 milliseconds or less, and pack a fast refresh-rate of up to 120Hz.”
The XReal Air 2 glasses also launch alongside a pro model. The XReal Air 2 Pro comes with various improvements including a “one-touch dimming control” that will quickly change the brightness of the glasses’ display.
With augmented reality headsets such as the Meta Quest 3 and the upcoming Apple Vision Pro exploding onto the market, the promise of augmented reality smart glasses is still in the works. While the XReal Air 2 and its Pro alternative doesn’t look as thin and light as the true sci-fi dream, there are genuine improvements here over the prior model.
At the time of writing the XReal Air 2 augmented reality glasses are available to preorder now at the XREAL website for $399 / €459 / £399. For those interested in the Pro model, you’ll have to fork out slightly more at $449 / €515 / £449.