Spacetop
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| Spacetop[1][2][3] | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | AR Glasses |
| Developer | Sightful |
| Manufacturer | Wistron (laptop base); glasses customized from Nreal Light |
| Announcement Date | 18 May 2023 |
| Release Date | 2023 |
| Price | $2000 |
| Website | https://www.sightful.com/ |
| Versions | Early Access (May 2023); general availability (January 2024) |
| Successor | Spacetop G1 (cancelled before release) |
| System | |
| Operating System | Spacetop OS (based on the Android Open Source Project) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| CPU | Kryo 585, 8-core, up to 3.1 GHz |
| GPU | Adreno 650 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Memory | 8 GB |
| Display | |
| Display | 2 x OLED binocular |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 per-eye |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz (PCWorld reported 72 Hz) |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 52° diagonal |
| Optics | |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| IPD Range | 56-70 mm |
| Audio | |
| Camera | 5 MP video conference camera (2560 x 1920) |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | 5G NR Sub-6 |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C (PD 3.0 charging up to 65 W, up to 10 Gbps, DisplayPort 1.4 output) |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) |
| Bluetooth | 5.1 |
| Battery Life | 5+ hours (manufacturer claim) |
| Device | |
| Dimensions | 26.6 x 24.9 x 4 cm (10.47 x 9.8 x 1.57 in) |
| Weight | 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) |
| Input | Full-sized keyboard and clickable touchpad |
Spacetop is an augmented reality laptop made by the Israeli company Sightful. It has a keyboard base with no built-in screen; the display is a tethered head-mounted display in the form of AR glasses, which show a virtual workspace that Sightful describes as more than 100 inches across.[1] It was released in 2023 through an invite-only Early Access program and went on general sale in January 2024.[4]
The Early Access Spacetop paired a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 base built by Wistron with customized glasses from Nreal, and ran Spacetop OS, a web-app-centered system based on the Android Open Source Project.[2][3] Sightful announced a redesigned Spacetop G1 in May 2024 but cancelled it in October 2024 and stopped making hardware.[5][6] Since April 2025 the Spacetop name has been used for Spacetop for Windows, a software product that runs on Windows laptops with Xreal glasses.[7]
Announcement and release
Development
Sightful was founded in 2020 by Tamir Berliner and Tomer Kahan.[7] According to the company, Berliner co-founded PrimeSense, which Apple acquired, and was vice president and general manager of Magic Leap Israel; Kahan was an early executive at Magic Leap and at N-trig, which Microsoft acquired.[8] The company was called Multinarity until 2022, when it changed its name to Sightful.[8]
Sightful unveiled Spacetop on 18 May 2023 and said it was the result of nearly three years of development by a team of more than 60 people. At that point the company had raised US$61 million from investors including Aleph and Corner Ventures. The hardware combined a laptop base from the manufacturer Wistron with customized Nreal glasses.[1]
Early Access and general availability
The Early Access program opened on the day of the announcement, with 1,000 early adopters to be invited.[1] Buyers had to apply and be approved before they could pay US$2,000 for a unit. Sightful's founders told Tom's Hardware that they wanted the first units to go to people who would use many windows, mostly web apps, and that people needing more powerful hardware, such as gamers, would be asked to wait.[3]
In October 2023 Sightful started an Enterprise Seeding Program, a curated alpha program that sold packages of Spacetops to Fortune 500 companies. On 9 January 2024 the company made the Early Access Spacetop available to anyone at US$2,150. It said that software updates since launch had added Spacetop Live Stream, which shares a first-person view of a window or the whole canvas through a URL or QR code; more web apps such as Windows 365, HubSpot, DocuSign, Figma and Notion; and a motion stabilization mode for working in cars, trains and planes, toggled with a hotkey.[4]
Design and hardware
Laptop base
The base contains the computer, a full-sized keyboard and a clickable touchpad. Sightful's specification sheet lists a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chip with an eight-core Kryo 585 CPU running at up to 3.1 GHz and an Adreno 650 GPU, 8 GB of memory, 256 GB of storage and a battery life of more than five hours.[2] The founders told Tom's Hardware that they chose Qualcomm because it had spatial computing technology that Intel did not yet offer.[3]
Two USB-C ports support PD 3.0 charging at up to 65 W, data at up to 10 Gbps and DisplayPort 1.4 output to an external Full HD screen. Wireless connectivity is Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 and 5G NR Sub-6. The base has a 5-megapixel video conference camera, measures 26.6 by 24.9 by 4 cm and weighs 1.5 kg.[2] Tom's Hardware noted a very small e-ink display on the unit, which Sightful only used to show its logo, and wrote that the keyboard felt a bit loose on the demo units it tried.[3]
Glasses
The glasses are a customized version of the Nreal Light, with a 1080p display for each eye and built-in speakers. Sightful told Tom's Hardware that its changes included software tweaks to sharpen text and a rerouted cable that no longer runs around the back of the head. The glasses are permanently tethered to the base.[3] PCWorld reported that the glasses weigh 106 grams, support interpupillary distances of 56 to 70 mm and take corrective lenses that snap in magnetically.[9]
Published figures for the glasses differ. 9to5Mac and Notebookcheck gave the refresh rate as 75 Hz, and Notebookcheck described an OLED panel with a combined resolution of 3,840 x 1,080 pixels.[10][11] PCWorld listed 72 Hz and a 53-degree diagonal field of view.[9] Liliputing wrote that the customized Nreal glasses have a field of view of around 46 to 52 degrees, depending on the version.[12]
Specifications
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| Display | 2 x OLED binocular |
| Resolution | 1920x1080 per-eye[3] |
| Refresh Rate | 75 Hz[10][11] (72 Hz in PCWorld's report[9]) |
| Field of View | 52° diagonal (53 degrees diagonal in PCWorld's report[9]) |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (Kryo 585 CPU, Adreno 650 GPU)[2] |
| Memory and storage | 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage[2] |
| Battery life | 5+ hours (manufacturer claim)[2] |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G NR Sub-6[2] |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C[2] |
| Weight | 1.5 kg (3.3 lb)[2] |
| Price | $2000 (Early Access);[3] US$2,150 (general availability, January 2024)[4] |
Software and features
Spacetop OS is built on the Android Open Source Project. At launch it ran only web apps, and there was no Google Play Store or other app store; entries in the start menu such as Discord and Spotify were bookmarks for websites. Sightful told Tom's Hardware that it saw "the web as a first-class citizen".[3] Sightful's launch material named Zoom, Google Docs and Figma among the web apps users could run.[1]
Sightful calls the workspace the Canvas and says it is invisible to people nearby who are not wearing the glasses.[1] Windows are arranged across the canvas and enlarged with a three-finger gesture on the trackpad. Holding Shift on both sides of the keyboard re-centers the desktop in front of the wearer. Tom's Hardware was told there is no fixed limit on the number of open windows, only limits set by computing power and resolution.[3]
Successors
Spacetop G1
- Main article: Spacetop G1
Sightful announced the Spacetop G1 on 30 May 2024 as a redesigned model with built-in Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses, a Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550 chip, 16 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. It was priced at US$1,900, with US$100 reservations and shipping planned for October 2024.[13] Sightful said the new Qualcomm chipset was 70% faster than the one in the Early Access model.[14]
In October 2024 Sightful cancelled the G1 and said it would refund the US$100 deposits. The company said it could not compete with the neural processing units that Microsoft and PC makers such as Lenovo, Dell, Asus and HP were building into laptops, which offered more processing power and better battery efficiency for AR use.[5] UploadVR reported that the company would no longer ship any hardware products.[6]
Spacetop for Windows
Sightful relaunched Spacetop as software at CES in January 2025. At that event it quoted US$950 for a one-year subscription and US$1,050 for two years, each bundled with Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses, and said Mac support was targeted for 2026.[15]
Spacetop for Windows went on sale on 24 April 2025. The launch bundle cost US$899 and included Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses and a 12-month subscription, renewing at US$200 a year; prescription inserts cost US$50 for single vision and US$150 for progressive lenses.[16] Sightful also expanded sales from the United States to Germany, with Deutsche Telekom, SHI International and Intel as partners.[7] Engadget reported that the software required an Intel laptop with a neural processing unit and did not work with AMD or Qualcomm AI processors, and that the Air 2 Ultra glasses provide six degrees of freedom tracking.[17]
As of September 2026, Sightful sells Spacetop to businesses. Its pricing page lists a self-serve plan at US$54 per seat per month, billed annually with a five-seat minimum, plus US$699 per pair of Xreal One Pro glasses, and custom quotes for enterprise deployments of 50 or more seats per country.[18] The published laptop requirements are an Intel Core i7 or i9 12th Gen or newer, or supported Intel Core Ultra models, with at least 16 GB of RAM, a USB-C port with DisplayPort Alt Mode and Windows 11 version 24H2 or later.[19] The most recent release, version 1.10.44.0 of 10 September 2026, lists the Xreal One Pro as its supported glasses and says it is incompatible with the Air 2 Ultra.[20] The help center says Spacetop is not available for Mac laptops.[21]
Reception
In PCWorld's hands-on with the Early Access model, Mark Hachman wrote that "Text was absolutely legible, unlike the Quest Pro" and called it "not a frivolous device at all", while describing the US$2,000 price as a steep investment.[9] Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac ran several browser windows and a YouTube video at once without lag, but wanted to take the glasses off after 15 to 20 minutes and was unsure whether the refresh rate, weight or heat was the cause.[10]
Andrew E. Freedman of Tom's Hardware found the images sharp, with decent color. He called the lack of native apps a dealbreaker and described the device as "effectively a fancy AR Chromebook". He also noted that the limited field of view meant turning the head to see parts of the virtual screen.[3]
Reviews of the software version were mixed. Engadget's Devindra Hardawar wrote that it was "clearly a more viable concept as an app that can work on a variety of laptops", although the Air 2 Ultra glasses were "still pretty clunky".[17] PCWorld's review found the software usable but hampered by numerous bugs and a significant subscription cost.[22] Kyle Barr of Gizmodo, who gave it a score of 2.5, reported eye strain after two hours and wrote that the 52-degree field of view forced him to turn his head to look at each app.[23]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "Meet Spacetop: The World's First Augmented Reality Laptop". Business Wire. Sightful. 2023-05-18. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230518005244/en/Meet-Spacetop-The-Worlds-First-Augmented-Reality-Laptop. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 "Spacetop Early Access: Tech Specs". Sightful. Sightful. 2023-05. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ysjtYtkYgc-7Jyxne4Ws-OUR4d3YS0Xm/view. 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 Andrew E. Freedman (2023-05-18). "This AR Laptop Promises a 100-inch Virtual Screen, But Limits You to Web Apps". Tom's Hardware. https://www.tomshardware.com/news/this-ar-laptop-promises-a-100-inch-virtual-screen-but-limits-you-to-web-app. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Sightful Makes the World's Only Augmented Reality Laptop Available to Purchase". Business Wire. Sightful. 2024-01-09. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240109464186/en/Sightful-Makes-the-Worlds-Only-Augmented-Reality-Laptop-Available-to-Purchase. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Scott Hayden (2024-10-09). "Sightful Cancels Headless AR Workstation 'Spacetop', Pivots to Windows AR Software". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/ar-latop-spacetop-cancelled-windows-software-pivot/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 David Heaney (2024-10-08). "Sightful Cancels Spacetop, Pivots To PC Software For Xreal Air 2 Ultra". UploadVR. https://www.uploadvr.com/sightful-cancels-spacetop-pivots-to-windows-software-for-xreal-glasses/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Sightful Launches Spacetop for Windows - AR Productivity Software Built for the AI PC Era". Business Wire. Sightful. 2025-04-24. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250424115900/en/Sightful-Launches-Spacetop-for-Windows-AR-Productivity-Software-Built-for-the-AI-PC-Era. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "About Us". Sightful. Sightful. https://www.sightful.com/about-us. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Mark Hachman (2023-05-18). "Meet Spacetop, a radical new laptop with no screen". PCWorld. https://www.pcworld.com/article/1919392/spacetop-is-the-first-laptop-without-a-screen.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Seth Weintraub (2023-05-18). "Spacetop AR 'laptop' shows potential of Apple's Reality Goggles". 9to5Mac. https://9to5mac.com/2023/05/18/spacetop-ar-apple-reality-goggles/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Hannes Brecher (2023-05-19). "Spacetop: Der weltweit erste AR-Laptop verspricht 100 Zoll Display für unterwegs". Notebookcheck. https://www.notebookcheck.com/Spacetop-Der-weltweit-erste-AR-Laptop-verspricht-100-Zoll-Display-fuer-unterwegs.718622.0.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Brad Linder (2023-05-18). "Spacetop "augmented reality laptop" uses AR glasses to present a 100 inch virtual display (sort of)". Liliputing. https://liliputing.com/spacetop-augmented-reality-laptop-uses-ar-glasses-to-present-a-100-inch-virtual-display-sort-of/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2024-05-30). "Sightful Unveils 'Spacetop G1' Headless AR Workstation, Aiming to Best the Rest in Battery Life". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/sightful-spacetop-g1-ar-headset-laptop-release/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "Introducing Spacetop G1: The Laptop For The Spatial Computing Era". Business Wire. Sightful. 2024-05-30. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240530098029/en/Introducing-Spacetop-G1-The-Laptop-For-The-Spatial-Computing-Era. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Nick Lucchesi (2025-01-07). "At CES, Sightful relaunches Spacetop: AR to make a 100" laptop monitor". Laptop Mag. https://www.laptopmag.com/laptops/spacetop-augmented-reality-launch-ces-2025. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Scott Hayden (2025-05-02). "Spacetop Launches Windows App to Turn Laptops into Large AR Workspaces". Road to VR. https://roadtovr.com/spacetop-windows-app-laptops-ar-workspace/. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Devindra Hardawar (2025-04-24). "Spacetop AR is now an expensive Windows app instead of a useless screenless laptop". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/spacetop-ar-is-now-an-expensive-windows-app-instead-of-a-useless-screenless-laptop-140030911.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "Pricing". Sightful. Sightful. https://www.sightful.com/pricing. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "Spacetop for Windows - Product". Sightful. Sightful. https://www.sightful.com/product. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "Spacetop Software Releases and Download". Spacetop Help Center. Sightful. https://help.sightful.com/en/articles/10841035-spacetop-software-releases-download. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ "Can I use Spacetop on my Mac?". Spacetop Help Center. Sightful. https://help.sightful.com/en/articles/10352005-can-i-use-spacetop-on-my-mac. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Mark Hachman (2025-05-05). "Sightful Spacetop review: Impressive AR, buggy reality". PCWorld. https://www.pcworld.com/article/2768135/sightful-spacetop-review.html. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
- ↑ Kyle Barr (2025-05-12). "Spacetop Review: Working in Augmented Reality Strained My Eyes". Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/the-future-of-laptops-is-not-this-overpriced-ar-app-and-smart-glasses-combo-2000599895. Retrieved 2026-09-27.