XREAL (formerly Nreal) Air AR glasses are so cool but need some serious work

Even with their many problems, I still liked them.
By RJ Andersen  on 
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pair of tinted AR glasses with smaller lenses inside
The XREAL AR glasses look similar to standard sunglasses, but have a set of small inner lenses. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable
XREAL Air AR glasses
For hardcore gamers, the XREAL Air glasses are an absolute must-have, but be warned: they have just as many problems as they do selling points.
Mashable Score 2.4
Wow Factor 5
User Friendliness 1.6
Performance 2.8
Bang for the Buck 3
The Good
  • Simple, lightweight headset that’s miles better than bulky competitors
  • Screens are extremely clear, responsive, and legible
  • Cool and futuristic gaming experience
  • Prescription inserts are comfortable and easy to install
The Bad
  • Hard to set up on some devices
  • AR launcher doesn’t really work
  • Software is majorly lacking

When I was a kid, I was given a Virtual Boy — Nintendo’s very ‘90s predecessor to the VR headsets we know today — and I loved it. Since then, I’ve been obsessed with adding new technology to my gaming experience including a 3D projector for movies and gaming, saving up for my first HTC Vive headset, and even tiptoeing into the Metaverse. 

When I started seeing videos of the XREAL Air glasses (formerly Nreal Air) on YouTube, marketed as a lightweight and stylish take on augmented reality glasses, I knew I needed to see them in action. Thankfully, the technology shows just as much potential as I thought it would…but while they show a ton of promise, they also come with a lot of problems. (Many of these problems have been improved in the new XREAL Air 2 glasses.)

What are the XREAL Air glasses?

pair of tinted AR glasses with extra material to shade above the eyes
The XREAL glasses are just slightly larger than a regular pair of sunglasses. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

Marketed as "ultramodern AR glasses with an edge," the XREAL Air is a pair of augmented reality sunglasses that boast the ability to watch movies, stream, work, and game anywhere you want without the need for a bulky headset, traditional gaming computer, or tons of added cables and wiring. 

The XREAL Air glasses are only slightly heavier than traditional sunglasses, and each lens contains a separate 1920 x 1080 display. From there, the glasses are attached to your phone, computer, or gaming console using a single USB-C cable. Speakers are built into each earpiece, and — for users looking for a more immersive experience — you can opt to use your favorite earbuds instead. 

The result is a truly comfortable and stylish entry point into AR and wearable technology that can be used as an external monitor or 3D headset, one that diehard gamers will absolutely love.

Setting up the XREAL Air glasses

The physical set-up of the XREAL Air glasses is thankfully pretty straightforward. You simply plug the glasses into your phone or computer (iPhone and Nintendo Switch users will need a separate adapter) using the provided USB-C cable, and you’re good to go.

I tested the XREAL Air glasses with my Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, and they automatically registered as an external display that could be configured like you would any monitor. For some phones, this will mirror exactly what is on your phone screen. For mine, this opened Samsung’s DeX, a separate desktop environment specifically for the glasses. Either way, you’re ready to start using the apps on your phone — like watching movies on Netflix — using the massive 201-inch screen that appears in the glasses. 

If you’re interested in using the augmented reality/3D content, however, this is where things start to get tricky. You have to download the Nebula app, and, unfortunately, XREAL doesn’t do a great job at making this process easy. After going through a series of permissions, if the XREAL Air is plugged into your device, it will ask if you want to connect to the Air. Click “yes,” and finally you’ll be able to select “AR Space” to start XREAL’s AR launcher. 

Be warned: Expect to Google error codes if this doesn’t work the first time. I had to try several times — and discovered that Samsung users need to turn off DeX first — before I could get the app to recognize the Air. 

As an augmented reality/3D device

I am going to be blunt here. The AR offerings for the XREAL Air are confusing and bad. The Nebula "AR Space'' app launcher feels more like a broken tech demo than a functional piece of software, and it’s not even available for iPhone users. (XREAL has a list of compatible devices on its website.) All in all, it sort of feels like a 3D version of a web browser — visually, this looks like floating browser windows in space — with only a few good moments.

The “Watch TV” app that comes with the launcher is definitely one of them. It has an AR version of YouTube that is worth checking out, and it has a really interesting interface for browsing and watching movies. Unfortunately, almost every movie available in the app is niche horror. 

From there, most of the AR experience was a disappointment. I couldn’t run any of my existing Android apps in AR Space, and none of the AR apps and games advertised in the Nebula launcher or on XREAL’s website worked. 

I spent a few days trying to figure out how to watch existing side-by-side or 360-degree content in a way that I could recommend, but I couldn’t seem to figure it out, which was another major disappointment for me. 

XREAL does offer a version of the Nebula app available for M1/M2 Macs, but — since my Intel Mac wasn’t supported — I wasn’t able to test those features. When I plug the Air into my Mac, it simply mirrors the monitor in front of me, which isn’t super necessary or helpful. 

As an external monitor

For all of the shortcomings of the XREAL Air glasses, especially as an augmented reality device, the glasses truly shine as an external monitor. I tested this with my Samsung phone, which meant I was able to use Samsung DeX to run a desktop environment in the glasses. It basically looks like a giant flat monitor hanging in mid-air in front of my face, and it gives me access to all of my Android apps.

mall AR lenses inside sunglass frames
The inner lenses provide a massive screen for viewing or gaming. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

As a result, I can watch movies on Netflix or play games on a truly massive screen without needing to be sitting at my computer. I combined this with a Bluetooth gaming controller and an app called Moonlight that allowed me to stream content over my local network from my PC directly to my phone, which meant I could play my entire catalog of Steam games directly on my XREAL Air display. 

This was a phenomenal experience, and it’s one that I’ve used every single day since receiving the XREAL Air glasses. I love not being tethered to my PC to play games, and it’s an absolute blast being able to play games anywhere I want from relaxing in bed (the “screen” looks like its on the ceiling) to playing Horizon: Zero Dawn during my daily stationary bike ride. 

Despite all of the frustrations I felt while trying to get the XREAL Air glasses to do anything worthwhile in the AR space, the experience I’ve had playing games and watching movies turned this product from a disappointment into a daily driver. After a week with the glasses, I even splurged on the prescription lens inserts from one of XREAL’s partners, which were easy to install and make using the XREAL Air glasses even better. 

Are the XREAL Air glasses worth the price?

If you've got a Samsung device — or if you’re a dedicated gamer — the XREAL Air offers a truly incredible experience. Despite some major hiccups and shortcomings, I still use this device almost daily, and it’s become a major staple in my gaming experience. I stream my PC games directly to my face, which makes me feel like I’m living in the future, and this feature was far more convenient and user-friendly than I thought it would be. 

If you’re looking for 3D content, just skip this for now. They may be able to work out the issues eventually — or some developer may come along and do the work for them — but it’s just not there yet.

As for everyone else? If you’re particularly interested in the ability to watch movies in your glasses — or you like the idea of using a mobile workstation — it might be worth the $379 price tag. For most people, however, I’d skip these for right now. 

I could see them being a fun purchase for people who don’t really care about the poor AR experience, like frequent fliers who want a stylish way to shut out the world and watch your favorite movies, but I’d have a hard time justifying paying full price for a pair of AR glasses that can’t really do AR. 

The bottom line

I really wanted the XREAL (formerly Nreal) Air glasses to be the general market’s introduction to AR content, especially considering how earlier attempts at AR wearables like Google Glass failed, but they fell short of the mark. While the hardware itself is spot on — these look and feel great, the video is stellar, and the sound is impressive — the software feels like the company either gave up or simply released way too early. 

Ultimately, the XREAL Air glasses could’ve been a milestone on our journey into AR. Instead, we’re left with another example of how awkward and unwieldy augmented reality is. It’s still a pretty incredible flat monitor, though, and for the right person — like me — that is more than enough. 

How we tested

The XREAL (formerly Nreal) Air glasses hit our radar because they were the first seemingly fashionable and approachable product in the AR market in a long time, especially since the initial floundering release of Google Glass. The Air is the second pair of augmented reality glasses to come from XREAL, so we wanted to know if this was going to be the product that finally brought AR into the mainstream.

The Air was tested daily for a month with several devices. Initially, we tried testing it with an iPhone, and when that didn’t work we switched to an Android. Most of the testing was done with the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, though we also paired it briefly with an iMac.

The struggle to use XREAL’s companion app and to get the AR functioning affected both the Performance and User Friendliness scores. We left the Performance at 2.8 because of the stellar experience we had after giving up on the AR/3D experience and accepted it as a flat monitor. However, finding that sweet spot took a lot of tinkering.

Some other factors we’ve taken into account:

  • Power: The XREAL Air doesn’t have an onboard battery. It uses the power of the device it’s plugged into, which means it can drain your cell phone battery pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the device uses the same port as your phone’s charger, so you’re unable to use it while charging your phone. However, we were able to get around this with a wireless charging pad. 

  • Comfort: These glasses are pretty comfortable and lightweight, especially compared to the bulky VR headsets out on the market. However, the nose pads can start to hurt after two or three hours of use.

  • Display Quality: It’s not 4K, but that didn’t bother us at all. In fact, the quality of the lenses and the technique XREAL used to mount and reflect the display resulted in a better-looking image than my HTC Vive headset gives me, although at a much lower field of view.

  • Price Point: AR is a niche market. Enterprise-level solutions can run greater than $1,400, but the consumer market is a little harder to pin down. The XREAL Air comes in at $379 (or $438 with the lightning adapter) which is a little more approachable.


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