Xreal’s new AR glasses are way cheaper and almost just right

Xreal has launched the A01 Plus, a cheaper set of USB-C augmented reality glasses priced at $299, positioned as a pared-back alternative to the company's $449 1S. Reviewed by The Verge's Cameron Faulkner, the glasses retain several of the 1S's strongest qualities — comfort, good looks, and screens that are surprisingly bright and rich in contrast for the price — while shedding features to hit the lower cost. They are aimed at people who simply want an affordable way to mirror games, films or a full computer screen.

At 62 grams, the A01 Plus are over 20 grams lighter than the 1S, but the frame feels flimsy, with delicate temple arms housing micro OLED panels and birdbath optics, plus a swappable modular shell for customisation (including future 3D-printed covers). The display runs at 1080p and 120Hz, though the reviewer found it blurry until fitting roughly $50 prescription lens inserts; the IPD range is 54.5mm to 74.5mm. Key omissions compared with the 1S include three degrees of freedom (replaced by a gimbal-like stabilisation mode that introduces text jitter), weaker and quieter audio, no on-glasses volume control, and a fixed screen size equivalent to a 147-inch display with a 50-degree field of view.