Xreal Air
More actions
| Xreal Air | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | AR Glasses |
| Subtype | Consumer AR |
| Platform | Xreal Nebula |
| Creator | Xreal (formerly Nreal) |
| Developer | Xreal |
| Manufacturer | Xreal |
| Announcement Date | 30 September 2021 (as Nreal Air) |
| Release Date | 4 March 2022 (Japan); 20 May 2022 (United Kingdom); 27 September 2022 (United States) |
| Price | US$379 (United States launch, September 2022); £399 (United Kingdom launch, May 2022); ¥49,800 suggested retail price (Japan, 2022); 2,299 yuan (China, August 2022) |
| Website | https://www.xreal.com/ |
| Requires | Host device with USB-C DisplayPort Alt Mode output, or an adapter for HDMI and iPhone sources |
| Predecessor | Nreal Light |
| Successor | Xreal Air 2 |
| Display | |
| Display | Two Sony Micro-OLED panels |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 per eye (3840 x 1080 total) |
| Refresh Rate | 60 Hz at launch; up to 72 Hz via the Nebula app; 90 Hz option with the Xreal Beam from firmware 1.5.0 (2024) |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 46 degrees (diagonal) |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Birdbath optics |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| Adjustable Diopter | No; prescription lens frame included |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 3DoF (with Nebula software or Xreal Beam) |
| Eye Tracking | No |
| Hand Tracking | No |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Dual open-ear speakers |
| Microphone | Dual omnidirectional MEMS microphones |
| Camera | No |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode) |
| Ports | USB-C |
| Power | Powered by the host device over USB-C |
| Device | |
| Dimensions | 148 x 52 x 159 mm (unfolded); 148 x 52 x 60 mm (folded) |
| Weight | 79 g |
| Material | Mostly plastic |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity (wear) sensor |
| Input | Host device; brightness and volume rocker and power button on the right arm |
The Xreal Air (originally sold as the Nreal Air) is a pair of consumer AR glasses made by Xreal, the company formerly called Nreal. The glasses draw power, video and audio from a phone, computer or game device over a single USB-C cable.[1] They show the picture on two 1920 x 1080 Micro-OLED displays, which the company describes as a 130-inch screen seen from 4 meters away.[2][3] The Air weighs 79 grams.[1]
Nreal announced the Air in September 2021 as a lighter, cheaper follow-up to its Nreal Light.[4] It went on sale in Japan on 4 March 2022, in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2022 and in the United States on 27 September 2022, where it cost US$379 on Amazon.[5][6][7] When Nreal renamed itself Xreal in May 2023, the product became the Xreal Air.[8] Xreal said in January 2024 that the Air had shipped 100,000 units in 2022.[9] It was followed in late 2023 by the Xreal Air 2 and Xreal Air 2 Pro.[10]
History
Nreal Light and the move to media glasses
Nreal's earlier product, the Nreal Light, had full 6DoF tracking and was aimed at creators, enthusiasts and prosumers. When it announced the Air, Nreal said that data from its users in Korea showed that 78% of them used the Light to watch streaming video, and it designed the Air around media viewing instead of full augmented reality.[11] Tom's Hardware compared the Air with the Light: the Air lacks the Light's two cameras, so it has no hand tracking, image tracking or plane detection.[1]
Announcement
Nreal announced the Air on 30 September 2021. At that point the company gave a weight of 77 grams (against 106 grams for the Light), a 46-degree field of view, up to 49 pixels per degree and a micro-OLED display with a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz, and said it could show a virtual screen of up to 201 inches.[4] It planned to launch the glasses in December 2021 in Japan, China and South Korea through mobile carriers, followed by other markets in 2022, and said only that the price would be "a fraction of the price of Nreal Light".[4][11] The shipping product weighs 79 grams and runs at 60 Hz by default.[5][3]
Release
The Japanese launch slipped to 2022. NTT Docomo announced on 14 February 2022 that it would sell the Nreal Air from 4 March 2022. Its release lists a weight of about 79 g without accessories, OLED displays at 1920 x 1080 for each eye, a 46-degree diagonal field of view, and a 130-inch virtual screen at 4 meters. Docomo also announced an optional Nreal Streaming Box for smartphones that do not output DisplayPort video.[5] KDDI (au) sold the glasses as well. Japan was the first country where the Air went on sale, and buyers could try it at 131 Docomo and KDDI stores.[12][13] Nreal's suggested retail price was ¥49,800 including tax.[12][14] The carriers sold it for less: ¥39,799 at au and ¥39,800 at Docomo.[15] MONOist listed the Streaming Box at ¥9,900.[14] From July 2022 the Air was also sold at selected SoftBank shops and at consumer electronics retailers in Japan.[16]
In the United Kingdom the mobile operator EE sold the Air exclusively from 20 May 2022 for £399.[6] In the United States the Air went on sale on Amazon on 27 September 2022 for US$379. Nreal also introduced the Nreal Adapter, a US$59 HDMI dongle for connecting iPhones.[7][17]
Nreal held its first launch event in China on 23 August 2022, where it priced the Air at 2,299 yuan. At the same event it introduced a Chinese version of the Nreal X, a 106-gram model with two SLAM cameras and an RGB camera for 6DoF tracking, at 4,299 yuan, and the Nreal Adapter at 799 yuan.[18]
Rebrand to Xreal
On 25 May 2023 Nreal adopted the name Xreal, and the Nreal Air became the Xreal Air.[8] In its press release the company said it had "started to encounter disputes regarding the Nreal mark," which had been "resolved amicably". UploadVR connected this to the lawsuit Epic Games filed in 2021, in which Epic argued that Nreal's name looked and sounded "virtually identical" to its Unreal Engine.[19] At the rebrand Xreal said that more than 100,000 Air units had been sold worldwide.[20]
Xreal announced several updates for the Air at the same time. Spatial Display added 3DoF tracking so that the virtual screen could stay fixed in space instead of moving with the wearer's head. The Nebula runtime was coming to Windows and SteamOS, and a firmware update would raise the Air's refresh rate to 90 Hz.[20][19] The Xreal Beam accessory was announced with them (see Accessories).
In Japan, Xreal raised the price of the Air from ¥45,980 to ¥49,980 including tax for units sold from 21 August 2023, citing higher global prices for raw materials and energy.[21] A 90 Hz option arrived in early 2024, but only in combination with the Beam. According to the Japanese technology site Jetstream, firmware 1.5.0 for the original Air began rolling out around 26 January 2024. It added a 90 Hz option for use with the Xreal Beam, which requires a wired source connection and the Beam's depth control setting turned off; the default stayed at 72 Hz.[22]
Successors
Xreal launched the Xreal Air 2 at US$399 and the Air 2 Pro at US$449 in 2023, with US and UK shipments starting in mid-November. The Air 2 weighs 72 grams, 7 grams less than the original Air, and reaches 500 nits and up to 120 Hz. The Pro adds electrochromic dimming with three levels that block 0%, 35% or 100% of incoming light.[10] On 7 January 2024 Xreal announced the Xreal Air 2 Ultra at US$699, with shipping expected in March 2024. It adds two 3D environment sensors for six degrees of freedom tracking.[23]
Design and hardware
Displays and optics
The Air has two Sony-made micro-OLED displays, one per eye, at 1920 x 1080 each.[3] Xreal's specifications list a 46-degree field of view, 49 pixels per degree, 8-bit color, 108% sRGB coverage and up to 400 nits of perceived brightness.[3][2] The panels sit in the thick upper part of the frame and project the image down onto the lenses in front of the eyes.[1] IT之家's report on the Chinese launch also gave a contrast ratio of 100,000:1.[18] The Air carries TÜV Rheinland certifications for low blue light and flicker-free viewing, and Nreal described this as the first TÜV Rheinland certification for AR glasses.[14][24] Like every Nreal and Xreal glasses model before the One Pro, the Air uses a birdbath optical design.[25]
The company says the virtual screen appears as 130 inches at 4 meters in Air Casting mode and up to 201 inches at 6 meters in MR Space mode.[2][3] Before launch Nreal's product page explained that the 201-inch size applied under Nebula with Android phones, and the 130-inch size to mirror mode with any phone.[26] The displays run at 60 Hz by default. GSMArena noted that the Nebula app can raise this to 72 Hz.[3] Tom's Hardware found frame rates capped at 60 fps on a Windows laptop, and saw the rate drop to about 30 Hz when using the Nebula beta on macOS.[1]
Frame and fit
The frame is mostly plastic.[1] The Air measures 148 x 52 x 159 mm unfolded and 148 x 52 x 60 mm folded.[5] According to GSMArena's specification list, the glasses have a three-position vertical adjustment for gaze angle, hinges with a 20-degree adjustment range, and fit head sizes from 120 to 186 mm.[3] Nreal called the tilt mechanism a "3-step rake system" at the announcement.[4] Nreal's own product page described a spring hinge system with "up to 40° of flexibility".[24]
Regular glasses cannot be worn under the Air. A frame for prescription lenses comes in the box.[1][2] The box also holds a carrying case, three nose pads, a plastic light shield that blocks outside light, a braided USB-C cable and a cleaning cloth.[3]
Audio, controls and sensors
Each arm has an open-ear speaker, and the glasses have two omnidirectional MEMS microphones.[3] The only controls are on the right arm: a power button, a status LED and a rocker that changes screen brightness and, with a long press, speaker volume.[3] The glasses have an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and a proximity (wear) sensor. Xreal uses them for 3DoF head tracking when the glasses are paired with the Nebula app or the Xreal Beam.[3] The Air has no cameras.[6]
Connectivity and compatibility
The Air takes power, video and audio from the host through one USB-C cable, and the host must support DisplayPort Alternate Mode over USB-C.[1][5] Laptops with this feature, recent Android phones that output DisplayPort, M1 Macs, the Steam Deck and the ASUS ROG Ally work with a direct cable connection.[1][3] At the time of Tom's Hardware's review, Android support was limited to certain phones from LG, Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo and Sony.[1] Pocket-lint's reviewer found that a Google Pixel phone was rejected.[27] XDA Developers plugged the glasses directly into a 2021 iPad Pro, and reported that a two-hour movie used nearly 30% of a Galaxy Z Fold 4's battery.[28]
On the Steam Deck, MIXED reported that the handheld recognizes the glasses as an output device over USB-C and adjusts the resolution automatically. Because the glasses draw power from the Deck, MIXED estimated about an hour of use unless an adapter powers the handheld at the same time. It also noted that 3DoF tracking is not active in screen mirroring mode, so the virtual screen moves with the wearer's head.[29]
Game consoles, iPhones and other sources without a suitable USB-C port need the Nreal (later Xreal) Adapter, which costs US$59, has HDMI input and contains a battery rated for about three hours. iPhone users also need Apple's Lightning Digital AV Adapter.[1] Xreal says the adapter works with Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 4 slim and PlayStation 5, and the Nintendo Switch. The Switch does not work when plugged straight into the glasses.[3]
Software
Nebula is Nreal's (later Xreal's) companion software. On Android phones it has two modes: Air Casting, which mirrors the phone screen, and MR Space, a virtual workspace with several resizable app windows.[1][6] In 2022 Nreal announced a version of Nebula for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops that could show multiple virtual displays.[7] Tom's Hardware tested the macOS beta, which ran only on M1 Macs and could show up to three desktops fixed in space.[1] XDA Developers used the macOS beta to mirror the Mac display and add two more screens beside it. Its reviewer noted a "jelly" effect when turning the head quickly, but wrote part of the review across the three windows.[28] On Windows PCs without Nebula the glasses appear as an extra mirrored display.[1] Tom's Hardware and Pocket-lint both noted that Nebula requires registering an account before use, and Pocket-lint described the app as the weakest part of the system.[1][27] iPhones connected through the adapter could only mirror the screen, because the Nebula interface was not available on iOS.[28] In May 2023 Xreal said Nebula would come to Windows and SteamOS.[20]
Accessories
The Xreal Beam was announced with the rebrand in May 2023. It is a handheld adapter that adds 3DoF Spatial Display to devices such as consoles, phones and PCs, over a wired connection or wireless casting. It has a 4,870 mAh battery rated for three hours of use.[8] Pre-orders opened on 1 June 2023, and Xreal planned global availability for the second half of July 2023.[8][19] GSMArena listed its price as US$109 in August 2023.[3] Unlike the glasses alone, the Beam can connect directly to the Nintendo Switch.[3]
In February 2024 Xreal announced the Xreal Hub, an accessory that lets Air series glasses, including the original Air, stay connected while the host device (for example a game console) is charged over USB Power Delivery. In Japan it was priced at ¥5,980 including tax, with sales from 10 April 2024.[30]
Reception
In its December 2022 review, Tom's Hardware called the Nreal Air "a fine device for watching movies, TV shows and playing games" but said that "its value proposition diminishes once you factor in the adapters necessary and diminished battery life when connecting to consoles and iOS devices." The reviewer praised the light build, image quality and comfort over long sessions, and found the speakers weak in bass. He noted that an iPhone setup costs nearly US$500 once both adapters are added.[1] GSMArena's reviewer found the speakers clean but bass-free and quiet, and reported that people in the next seat could not hear them even at full volume.[3]
Pocket-lint gave the Air three out of five. Its reviewer wore the glasses comfortably through a four-hour flight but found the built-in speakers weak and the software unfinished, and concluded that it "does feel expensive for what you get", noting that a 128 GB Meta Quest 2 cost the same.[27] Tech Advisor listed the compact, lightweight design and the "detailed, bright semi-transparent displays" as strengths, and the limited MR Space features and limited smartphone compatibility as weaknesses.[31] XDA Developers praised the visuals and comfort over a two-hour film but found the display too bright for dark content even at the lowest setting, and wrote that "the price will keep Nreal Air a niche product for now."[28]
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | Two Sony Micro-OLED panels[3] |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 per eye (3840 x 1080 total)[1] |
| Refresh rate | 60 Hz default; 72 Hz via Nebula[3]; 90 Hz option with the Xreal Beam (firmware 1.5.0, 2024)[22] |
| Field of view | 46 degrees (diagonal)[5] |
| Pixels per degree | 49[3] |
| Color | 8-bit, 108% sRGB[3] |
| Brightness | Up to 400 nits perceived[2] |
| Contrast ratio | 100,000:1[18] |
| Certification | TÜV Rheinland low blue light and flicker-free[14] |
| Virtual screen | 130 inches at 4 m (Air Casting); up to 201 inches at 6 m (MR Space)[2] |
| Optics | Birdbath[25] |
| Tracking | 3DoF (with Nebula or Xreal Beam)[3] |
| Audio | Dual open-ear speakers; dual omnidirectional MEMS microphones[3] |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor[3] |
| Connection | USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode)[5] |
| Dimensions | 148 x 52 x 159 mm unfolded; 148 x 52 x 60 mm folded[5] |
| Weight | 79 g[1] |
| Launch price | US$379 (United States); £399 (United Kingdom)[7][6]; ¥49,800 suggested retail price (Japan)[12]; 2,299 yuan (China)[18] |
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 Brandon Hill (2022-12-12). "Nreal Air Review: Gaming and Media Greatness Marred by Dongle Madness". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nreal-air. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "EE partners with augmented reality innovator Nreal to exclusively launch 'Nreal Air' AR glasses in the UK". EE Newsroom. EE. 2022-04-26. https://newsroom.ee.co.uk/ee-partners-with-augmented-reality-innovator--nreal--to-exclusively-launch-nreal-air-ar-glasses-in-the-uk/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 Victor (2023-08-13). "XREAL Air AR glasses and XREAL Beam review". GSMArena. https://www.gsmarena.com/xreal_air_ar_glasses_and_xreal_beam_review-news-59478.php. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Mariella Moon (2021-09-30). "Nreal's latest smartglasses were designed for watching YouTube". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/nreal-air-augmented-reality-glasses-130059945.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 "ARグラス「Nreal Air」を発売". NTT Docomo (Japanese). NTT Docomo. 2022-02-14. https://www.docomo.ne.jp/info/news_release/2022/02/14_00.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Chris Hall (2022-05-12). "EE will exclusively offer Nreal Air AR glasses in the UK". Pocket-lint. https://www.pocket-lint.com/ar-vr/news/ee/160872-ee-will-exclusively-offer-nreal-air-ar-glasses-in-the-uk/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Kris Holt (2022-09-27). "Nreal brings its $379 Air augmented reality glasses to the US". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/nreal-air-augmented-reality-glasses-us-ios-mac-130041246-130041910.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Sam Sprigg (2023-05-25). "Nreal rebrands as XREAL, announces XREAL Spatial Display Technology and XREAL Beam". Auganix. https://www.auganix.org/ar-news-nreal-rebrands-as-xreal-announces-xreal-spatial-display-technology-and-xreal-beam/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Josef Erl (2023-10-26). "Xreal Air 2: Release, price, resolution - all you need to know". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/xreal-air-2-info-guide/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Skarredghost (2021-09-30). "Nreal announces Nreal Air AR glasses". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2021/09/30/nreal-air-ar-glasses-launch-specs/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "サングラスサイズのARグラス「Nreal Air」の予約受付開始 ドコモやKDDIの店舗で体験が可能". gamebiz (Japanese). 2022-02-14. https://gamebiz.jp/news/343232. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ "中国発ARグラス「Nreal Air」、ドコモとKDDIから発売 わずか79グラムのポケットサイズ". 36Kr Japan (Japanese). 2022-02-15. https://36kr.jp/174163/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 "KDDI・NTTドコモ、ARグラス「Nreal Air」の予約受付開始". MONOist (Japanese). ITmedia. 2022-03-01. https://monoist.itmedia.co.jp/mn/spv/2203/01/news013.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ "ARグラス「Nreal Air」、ソフトバンクショップや家電量販店などでも販売開始". BCN Retail (Japanese). 2022-07-06. https://www.bcnretail.com/market/detail/20220706_286893.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ Tomislav Bezmalinovic (2022-09-27). "Nreal Air display glasses launch in the U.S. for $379". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/nreal-air-ar-glasses-launch-in-the-us-for-379/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 汪淼 (2022-08-23). "2299 元,Nreal Air AR 眼镜发布:墨镜造型,可直连手机 / 电脑 / 游戏机,130 英寸空中投屏". IT之家 (Chinese). https://www.ithome.com/0/636/684.htm. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 David Heaney (2023-05-31). "Nreal Rebrands To Xreal & Announces Adapter For iPhones, Consoles & PCs". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/nreal-rebrand-xreal-beam-adapter/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Skarredghost (2023-05-25). "Nreal rebrands as XREAL and expands its ecosystem". The Ghost Howls. https://skarredghost.com/2023/05/25/nreal-rebrands-as-xreal/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 浅田カズラ (2023-08-15). "ARグラス「XREAL air」価格改定が発表。8月21日より4,000円値上げに". Mogura VR (Japanese). https://www.moguravr.com/?p=233465. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 "初代「XREAL Air」リフレッシュレート90Hzサポート【v1.5.0】". Jetstream (Japanese). 2024-01-29. https://jetstream.blog/?p=182039. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ "XREAL Jump-Starts the Future of Affordable, Full-Featured Spatial Computing, Announces XREAL Air 2 Ultra AR Glasses". PR Newswire. XREAL. 2024-01-07. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xreal-jump-starts-the-future-of-affordable-full-featured-spatial-computing-announces-xreal-air-2-ultra-ar-glasses-302027771.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Nreal Air". Nreal (archived 18 October 2022). Hangzhou Tairuo Technology Co., Ltd.. https://web.archive.org/web/20221018152609/https://www.nreal.ai/air?utm_source=YouTube&utm_medium=KOL&utm_campaign=noga-KOL. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Karl Guttag (2025-02-24). "XReal One Pro Optics and Its Connections to Ant-Reality and Google". KGOnTech. https://kguttag.com/2025/02/24/xreal-one-pro-optics-and-its-connections-to-ant-reality-and-google/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "Nreal Air". Nreal (archived 25 January 2022). Hangzhou Tairuo Technology Co., Ltd.. https://web.archive.org/web/20220125005854/https://www.nreal.ai/air. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Chris Hall (2022-11-07). "Nreal Air review: The closest you'll get to a 'normal' AR glasses experience". Pocket-lint. https://www.pocket-lint.com/nreal-air-review-vr-ar-mr-glasses/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 Ben Sin (2022-10-02). "Nreal Air Review: Virtual Mac desktop is enticing, but it's best used as a wearable large screen". XDA Developers. https://www.xda-developers.com/nreal-air-review/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ Tomislav Bezmalinovic (2023-01-16). "Nreal Air display goggles turn your Steam Deck into a 130-inch virtual TV". MIXED. https://mixed-news.com/en/nreal-air-display-goggles-turn-your-steam-deck-into-a-130-inch-virtual-tv/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ "XREAL Air シリーズを充電しながら接続できる最新アクセサリー「XREAL Hub」を発表". Zaikei Shimbun (Japanese). XREAL. 2024-02-26. https://www.zaikei.co.jp/releases/2372235/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
- ↑ Lewis Painter (2022-05-25). "Nreal Air review". Tech Advisor. https://www.techadvisor.com/article/723317/nreal-air-review.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12.