Xreal Air 2 Pro review: extra futuristic, thanks to this one (very useful) gimmick

Now, depending on which device you connect the glasses to, you can expect them to either mirror its screen (Steam Deck, iPhone / Android phones), or serve as a secondary display by default (iPad, MacBook).

Using these glasses for work is an actual, realistic scenario; they've been an excellent secondary screen for my iPad. Even small text is legible, thanks to the virtual screen's fantastic clarity and sharpness.

But these glasses shine extra when they're used for watching movies or YouTube videos, as it really feels like a private cinema experience you just pulled out of your pocket. If you tint them to their darkest mode, so that the outside world gets blocked and you only see the bright, big screen, all you really need beyond that is some popcorn. Great stuff!

The virtual screen is absolutely fixed to your head, so you can turn around or lie comfortably on your back for a binge watch of your favorite show, and you'll always have a centered view of it.

Another thing worth noting is that because the Xreal Air 2 Pro have a sensor for wearing detection, they automatically turn on when you wear them, and switch off when you take them off. In addition, your content will usually pause when you take them off; which I've noticed at least with some iPhone and Android apps.

Connectivity

There's no setup involved; as soon as you connect these glasses to your phone, laptop or Steam Deck, they'll immediately be recognized and utilized.

The way you connect the Xreal Air 2 Pro to such devices is via an included USB-C cable. However, it's very important that your devices have a USB-C port with DisplayPort output, in order for this to work.

Most flagship phones (but not all), most modern iPads, MacBooks, and laptops all have DisplayPort over USB-C support; however it's still best to do some research on your phone or device, and make sure that it does, before buying glasses like these.

Notably, the Nintendo Switch doesn't have DisplayPort support from its USB-C port, so for it, you'll want to get the Xreal Beam, which allows for using HDMI connections instead. Speaking of the Xreal Beam…

Xreal Beam, companion app

Those two are optional. The Xreal Beam is a sold-separately device that you can connect to your Xreal Air 2 Pro, in order to get some smart functionality and extra features out of them, such as the ability to resize or reposition your virtual screen. Check out our Xreal Beam review to learn more on that device.

Personally, I really wish these glasses already came with such features included – a built-in option to resize and reposition the virtual screen would've really made them top tier, but alas.

As mentioned earlier, the Xreal Beam also allows for HDMI connectivity, besides just USB-C, which is necessary if you wish to use a Nintendo Switch with your glasses. The Beam additionally gives the glasses some smart functionality, such as running apps like Netflix without needing your phone.

The Beam even has a bit of built-in storage, so you can theoretically download videos on it, and watch them on the go, without ever having to use your phone. It does need charging, though, and its battery life is about 3 hours.

Another optional (and this time free) thing you may want to play around with is the Xreal companion app – Nebula. Unfortunately it's only available on certain Android phones; no iPhone support.

Besides being useful for updating your glasses, the Nebula app gives them actual AR functionality, utilizing their limited head tracking capabilities. The app features an AR launcher, a video player, web browsing with some limited multitasking capabilities, and some AR apps built specifically for the Xreal Air series.

Speakers

The Xreal Air 2 Pro feature stereo speakers, one on the bottom of each frame, facing towards your ears. The sound you get is clean and spatial, and can get very loud.

While it's pretty weak on the low-end side of the audio spectrum, as can be expected, it's rich on mids and highs, and with generous stereo separation.

So the speaker quality is pretty fantastic for watching movies, adding extra immersion to the whole "private cinema" selling point of these glasses.

As for whether you'll disturb others around you – when I used the Xreal Air 2 Pro in quiet environments people could hear faint high-frequency sounds coming off of them even at fairly low volumes.

So depending on where you plan on using these glasses, you may want to pair some earbuds or headphones instead of using the built-in speakers, if you want perfect privacy, and to avoid disturbing others.

Verdict

The Xreal Air 2 Pro are now my favorite "wearable display" glasses we've reviewed so far. The fantastic, bright and crisp virtual screen they provide, paired with a clear, wide soundstage, as well as the new electrochromic glass dimming feature, make for a truly well-rounded private cinema experience.

If you're in the market for a big screen that fits in your pocket, whether you're a traveler who watches a lot of movies, a gamer on the go, or you simply wish to experiment with your productivity set up, the Xreal Air 2 Pro might just be perfect for you.

However, if you're not sold on the electrochromic glass dimming feature, you can comfortably go with the more affordable Xreal Air 2, and barely consider it a compromise, if at all. Alternatively, if you actually want more features, it might be best to wait for the Xreal Air 2 Ultra.