Xreal Aura 混合現實裝置將於 11 月中旬推出，售價 1,099 美元起

Ahead of the Meta VR Glasses arriving next spring, Google and Xreal are debuting a new device that also has VR-like experiences on a pair of display glasses connected with a processor puck: Xreal Aura is arriving mid-November, with preorders opening today.

The device, previously announced as costing $1,279, is going to cost less for the time being. It’s now dropped to $1,099 for early orders for the version with 256GB storage and 12GB RAM, or $1,299 for the one with 512GB/16GB (previous price: $1,500) through the end of this year.

I was impressed by the Xreal Aura during early demos over the last year. It runs a version of Android called AndroidXR, handles any Android app in either 2D or 3D VR-like modes, and can even use all the apps from the more expensive Samsung Galaxy XR released last year. It has hand tracking and can pair with keyboards and game controllers, too.

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Also, like the Meta VR Glasses, the Xreal Aura can plug into your phone, laptop or any USB-C video-out device to display it on the glasses, either piped in as a floating display in Xreal Aura’s desktop or with just the glasses detached from the processor puck.

Chi Xu, Xreal’s founder and CEO, has been working on the idea of AR glasses for years now. I saw the company’s nReal Light glasses all the way back in 2019. But the Aura finally looks like the idea Chi’s been dreaming of.

Project Aura glasses and puck in an opened travel case, next to a closed case. — Project Aura comes with its own travel case. The processor puck it uses is about the size of a phone.
Scott Stein/CNET

“We ultimately think think this can be a tablet or laptop replacement,” Chi says to me about devices like the Xreal Aura, which tether to processing pucks and work like ultra-portable VR headsets, as opposed to wireless smart glasses like those that Meta, Google and others are also making. He also thinks that the portable nature of the Aura running camera- and display-connected Gemini will allow some ideas no one’s seen yet.

“We’re hoping Aura can be a pivoting step for this whole industry, going lightweight and very easily integrated with AI as well,” he said.

Two hands hold a black game controller that has a Gemini button in the center. — A game controller accessory comes with its own Gemini button.Xreal

The Aura also intrigues me because, although it can feel like VR while I’m wearing the glasses with their 70-degree field of view microOLED displays, they actually float their displays on top of transparent lenses that have varying degrees of electrochromic dimming. They could be worn outside more easily, to places VR headsets aren’t meant to go. And while they’re not true standalone AR glasses, they could potentially be used to try outdoor experiences using AR and AI via Gemini in ways that the Snap Specs coming later this year also aim to do.

Chi’s confidence in portable glasses computers like Xreal Aura being tablet or even laptop alternatives intrigues me. The Aura has a folding keyboard accessory, and its processor puck doubles as a trackpad. That type of on-the-go work use is exactly what I’m interested in putting to the test, along with a lot more, when I get to review the Aura.

Scott Stein

Editor at Large

I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future. See full bio

Xreal Aura 混合現實裝置將於 11 月中旬推出，售價 1,099 美元起

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