Xreal One review: Another big step ahead for augmented reality glasses

Specs

Design, build quality

The glasses come with a nice protective case, brandishing an Xreal logo up front. The case fits the glasses fine, but doesn't have a compartment for their USB-C cable, unfortunately. That would've made it larger, sure, but either way, you'll need that cable, so it would've been nice to have that compartment.

Like the case, the Xreal One glasses themselves also look and feel familiar to previous Xreal versions – featuring a lightweight, matte plastic build, a USB Type-C port at the end of the left frame, soft rubber nosepads, micro-OLED screens that project onto the lenses, and lenses that you can conveniently set the transparency of.

We have four buttons built into the right frame for easy access (at least if you're right-handed); we'll talk about what they do in the next sections. We also have two built-in Bose speakers, one in each frame, positioned right above the user's ears.

Like any AR glasses, the Xreal One are still pretty large, and sit an unusual distance away from your eyes due to the space needed for their built-in screens, but they do feel like the closest I've seen to "normal sunglasses" yet.

From a distance, it's hardly noticeable that these are packing all this tech inside, and could easily trick people into thinking they're just traditional sunglasses. And that's what we all want, I assume. We're not quite there yet, but it's getting close!

Speaking of their use as actual sunglasses, the Xreal One offer actual UV protection, 100%, which is great.

Adjustability, IPD, fit and comfort

Out of the box, the Xreal One come with medium sized nose pads on, plus optional small and large ones that you can switch to, if needed. The frames of the glasses can be individually adjusted too, to an angle that suits you best.

The Interpupillary distance (IPD) can be adjusted as well. If you've ever used VR headsets, you'll know the term IPD – it basically means the distance between your eyes. Being able to set your VR headset or AR glasses to an IPD that matches yours makes for the most comfortable experience, so it's great to see that the Xreal One have that option. 13 different IPD modes to choose from, although for me personally, the default IPD setting worked perfectly.

In terms of fit and comfort, the glasses are lightweight (84 grams), feel premium and comfortable, and the soft nose pads don't seem to irritate my skin. Nothing to complain about, I could wear these glasses for hours just fine.

Controls, built-in menu, and electrochromic dimming

The controls are where the Xreal One really shine for me, as they actually have a built-in menu screen, thanks to their built-in processor. This is a rarity in consumer AR classes, still, so it's kind of a big deal.

Double-pressing the menu key, which is on the underside of the right frame, is how we get there. And I'll share all the options available on the Xreal One, for those interested. It's also worth noting that the glasses were updated to their latest firmware at the time of this review, but in future updates, some options could change or be added.

First, you need to know that single-pressing the menu key does – it switches between "Anchor" mode and "Follow" mode. The first one anchors the virtual screen to a fixed position in 3D space, meaning if you look to the side, you'll stop seeing it. Like a real TV that sits somewhere in your room – you have to look in its direction to see it. But the second option, "Follow", has the screen following your head orientation, in case you'd rather see your content no matter your head orientation.

With that in mind, here's what settings double-pressing the menu key gives you access to…

Display

• Screen Size - lets you set it anywhere between 87 and 141 inches
• Screen Distance - from 4 meters to 10 meters away; similar effect to "Screen Size"
• Ultra-Wide Mode - this option does what you'd expect – turns the screen ultra-wide and curved, although it only seems to work with the "Anchor" preset
• 3D Mode - if you're watching side-by-side 3D videos or movies, you can enable this to get the full 3D cinema effect
• Stabilizer - if you're using the "Follow" preset, this makes the screen smoothly follow your head's position, as opposed to snapping to it
• Brightness Enhancement
• Side View - instead of taking over your whole field of view, whatever you're watching becomes a small window at the corner of your eyes, if you enable this option
• Side View position - if you have the previous option enabled, you can choose the top left or top right side for it
• Display Optimization - appears to increase brightness
• Color Temperature
• Auto Sleep - default: 10 minutes
• IPD Adjustment - 13 different settings

Sound

• Volume
• Audio Protocol - you can choose between UAC or DP, an option that increases device compatibility

Shortcut button

• Click - you can choose what single-clicking the shortcut button does – it can switch to Transparency Mode, Ultra-Wide Mode, 3D Mode, open Audio Protocol, set Electrochromic Dimming
• Long Press - same options

Other

• Tutorial
• Sensor Calibration
• Language Settings
• Reverse Page Direction
• Regulatory Information
• Version
• Serial Number
• Reset to Factory Settings

Those are all the options in the Xreal One's built-in settings menu at this time, and again – it's fantastic having them.

You can really make these glasses work exactly like you want them to, and the shortcut button can be customized to quickly enable the features you use most often.

Lastly, let's talk about the Xreal One's electrochromic dimming. Long-pressing the volume keys changes the transparency of the glasses' lenses between three modes – from almost transparent, to almost opaque. If you want full immersion, say you're watching a movie during a plane flight – you'll want to make the lenses opaque – you instantly get a private virtual cinema.

And if you're working out or walking, you'll likely prefer to make the lenses as transparent as possible so you can see what's going on around you. Again, you can even make the screen extra unobtrusive, by using the above-mentioned Side View option. It's all really welcome to have.

The Xreal One are the most well-rounded and customizable AR glasses I've used so far! They definitely deserve praise for it.

Display quality

The Xreal One pack dual Sony 0.68-inch micro-OLED screens, one for each eye, featuring 600 nits of peak brightness, up to 120 Hz refresh rate, and a 1080p resolution.

So no 4k, still, which is something I've noticed some of you are eagerly waiting for, but to be fair, I personally don't see the need to go that high, as it'd only eat up our phones' battery life for a barely-perceived boost in clarity.

The virtual screen the Xreal One offer is crisp, bright, and color-accurate. The individual pixels are hardly noticeable, only if you look for them, so the pixel density is satisfactory.

Because there are so many built-in options for the screen, from size, through distance, to color temperature, one can really make it as vivid, warm or cold as they prefer. Always good to have as an option.

The field of view we get on the Xreal One is about 50 degrees, and thanks to the customizability of the screen's size and distance, I no longer have the issues I've had with previous AR glasses – where some of the picture is cut out, too low, or too high. With some tweaking, the viewing experience became about perfect for me.

A private cinema in the form of sunglasses, fully customizable? Yes, please.

Connectivity: iPhone and Android phones, Steam Deck, iPad, MacBook, PC

Traditionally I test AR glasses with as many devices as possible, including the most common ones I assume people will use them with – smartphones. Connecting the Xreal One with an iPhone or an Android phone is extremely simple – just plug their cable into the phone. There's a short XREAL loading screen that pops up each time, which is new, and likely a result of these glasses actually having their own processor, but it doesn't bother.

Afterwards your phone's screen gets mirrored onto the glasses, and you can watch whatever you want to, on the go.

Of course, the Xreal One can be connected not just to your smartphone, but to most modern devices that have a USB-C port, including laptops, tablets, and my favorite – the Steam Deck.

Steam Deck gaming with the Xreal One glasses has been a real joy for me. Again – simply connecting them to the Steam Deck, you get a huge virtual gaming screen. The Xreal One are the perfect, compact accessory for a console already designed for on-the-go gaming.

There's no perceived latency, so your reaction times during gameplay sessions won't be any slower than if using the Steam Deck's own display, except now you get a huge, much nicer one, that only you can see, with sound that only you can hear (well, if the volume isn't too high).

So Steam Deck fans, gamers on the go, rejoice. I'm willing to bet accessories like the Xreal One here will become a standard must-have for portable consoles someday, and for me personally – it's already that day.

Speakers

The Xreal One glasses features two Bose speakers, one in each frame, positioned right above the user's ear. They can get loud while the sound remains clear, and even offer a hint of bass, which, considering the small form factor, is all we could've asked for. They even beat some far thicker neckband speakers I own, in terms of sound quality.

Whether you're watching movies or gaming, you'll be fully immersed by the sound, as much as the large virtual screen you get. Also listening to podcasts, or even music, is very satisfactory thanks to the sound clarity and volume.

If you're worried about disturbing others around you, just lower the volume, and unless your environment is completely silent, only you'll be hearing your content. Overall, the Xreal One feature some of the best sound we've heard out of similar AR glasses yet, and again, considering the small form factor – I'm impressed, and very happy with it.

Verdict

The Xreal One bring us a big step closer to that perfect set of AR glasses I've been waiting for. The built-in menu, full of customization options, really gives these a leg up on the competition, and the fantastic screen and sound quality, plus adjustable IPD, frame angles, and most notably – lens transparency – can't be beat. So if you're in the market for AR glasses for watching movies or gaming on the go – I can easily recommend the Xreal One.