XREAL Air 2 (Hardware)
Official GBAtemp Review
Product Information:
XREAL has been pushing for consumer-grade augmented reality (AR) glasses for some years and their XREAL Air has even become a popular accessory to expand the screen size of handheld gaming devices. The company is reasserting its commitment to bringing AR tech to general consumers by issuing a new generation of AR glasses: the XREAL Air 2 Series. These include the XREAL Air 2 and XREAL Air 2 Pro.
Contents and specs of the XREAL Air package
The XREAL Air 2 model, which starts at $399/£399, is under review and comes with the following items:
- XREAL Air 2
- Traveling Case
- 3 Nose Pads
- Light Shield
- Prescription Lens Frame
- USB-C Cable
- Cleaning Cloth
Specs of the new AR glasses can be found below:
The company is also launching a Kaleido Kit that allows owners of the original Air as well as the Air 2/2 Pro to customise their glasses with different colours.
XREAL Air 2: familiar looks with better comfort
Aesthetically, the XREAL Air 2 is virtually indistinguishable from the original XREAL Air. This isn’t bad per se as I am quite fond of the inconspicuous yet stylish design of both glasses. However, it might have been a welcome option for the company to offer glasses of different shapes to cater for a wider range of preferences.
XREAL Air on the left, XREAL Air 2 on the right
While the look is similar to the original Air, I found the Air 2 to be more comfortable than the previous generation. This is thanks to it being lighter at 72g and the new Air 2 also sports soft, elastic temples that ensure a more comfortable fit. In fact, the Air 2 is 10% thinner and 10% lighter than previous models, which helps make it XREAL’s most comfortable glasses to date. Compared to the other AR glasses that I’ve tried, the XREAL Air 2 is hands-down the most comfortable pair I’ve used to date.
As with the original Air, you can further adjust the Air 2’s nosepad size from the three included and with the stretchable temple hinges, the glasses can fit heads of different shapes. You can also adjust the viewing angle as the three-level temple tilt angle adjustment system is back. The nosepad tips are also of different material and design, and I found them to be more comfortable as they don’t press much over my nose bridge.
XREAL also changed the design of the prescription lens inserts with the Air 2. However, I was positively surprised to see that the original Air’s prescription lens inserts fit in the new Air 2. This was very handy as I already had prescription lenses fitted for the Air and can now use them with the Air 2 without the need to order a new pair. This is very welcome for people like me who are heavily dependent on their glasses and are upgrading to the new Air 2. I hope that XREAL keeps the prescription lenses compatible across its new glass models as well.
Crisp AR with incremental hardware upgrades
New to the XREAL Air 2 is its sound system, and the speaker area is among the few noticeable hardware differences between the new-gen and old-gen model. On the XREAL Air 2, the speakers are still on the arms with an open-ear design but there are two outlets on each, one facing upwards and one facing downwards. I found these to deliver more than decent audio output and having two outlets delivers a fuller soundscape.
XREAL Air on the left, XREAL Air 2 on the right
Also new to these glasses is the 0.55 micro-OLED panels from Sony Semiconductor Solutions. These make the device slimmer and lighter without compromising on the image quality. With up to 500 Nits, the Air 2 is 25% brighter. Visuals are as crisp as with the former model, with discernible details and colours that pop. It’s still an impressive experience considering the pocketable form factor of the glasses, which deliver the viewing experience of a big screen experience of up to 330-inches. However, the field of view is 46°, the same as with XREAL’s last-gen glasses, and can feel limiting. But for watching videos or playing games without moving your head much, it’s a great companion, especially with the display quality and up to 120 Hz refresh rate that enables smooth gameplay streams.
The main difference between the Air 2 and Air 2 Pro is that the Pro model adds an instant Electrochromic Dimming feature. This allows for three levels of adjustment adequate for most lighting conditions so that you can better see the image. The regular Air 2 model comes with a Light Shield that lets you block surrounding light for a more VR-like experience.
To use the XREAL Air 2, you can plug it to virtually any device with a USB-C port that supports video output (smartphone, Steam Deck, laptop) and it will mirror the source device’s display in static mode. The glasses are also compatible with the company’s Nebula app that lets you browse the internet on 3DoF-enabled browsers that are anchored on the spot, akin to holographic windows. The XREAL Air 2 can also be paired to the XREAL Beam which can in turn enable 3DoF screen mirroring of any device that supports video output over USB-C and, in my opinion, offers the most compelling use case for AR glasses to date.
While the main upgrades to the XREAL Air 2 have to do with the visuals and audio, arguably the most important features of AR glasses, they are still incremental upgrades. If you already own a pair of XREAL Air, there’s not much reason to upgrade at this point. A more significant jump to entice for an upgrade would have been, for example, using waveguides instead of birdbath optical technology to make for more sleek-looking glasses like the INMO Air 2.
This is especially the case as there is no feature update to the Nebula app or XREAL Beam that is exclusive to the Air 2 Series. Having more apps on the Beam or at least enabling more windows to be open and viewable at once while being able to use the Beam as a pointer would be a really welcome feature. In my review for the Beam, I wholeheartedly recommended the Beam for XREAL Air owners and I extend that recommendation to those thinking of getting the XREAL Air 2. Its 3DoF, anchored mirroring of your existing apps makes for a compelling AR use case but additional features would be welcome. Similarly for the Nebula app, updates have been scant and it’s mostly a glorified (yet cool) AR browser.
I wish XREAL would focus its efforts as much on the software as it does on the hardware side of things. Another recommendation could have been to integrate the XREAL Beam’s features within the glasses, which would have made for a more compelling product. But it’s still encouraging to see the company pushing for consumer-grade AR glasses and I look forward to seeing new apps and features becoming available for their new models.
And while the experience is mostly the same as last gen's glasses, if you've been on the fence regarding AR glasses, then the XREAL Air 2 will offer a comfortable and well-rounded experience. Just make sure to also get the XREAL Beam to enhance the AR experience, whether it's on your gaming handheld or smartphone. This combination is what gives a bright glimpse of the future of AR.
Verdict
- Improved comfort
- Crisp image quality
- Improved sound system
- Prescription lenses of old model fit in XREAL Air 2
- Upgrades are mostly incremental
- No updates to companion Nebula app or XREAL Beam
