The XReal One AR Glasses Shine—But This One Feature Falls Short

Forbes

28-03-2025

I'm on an AR glasses kick lately, and not just because they can help me relax on a plane: With AR glasses, I can toss a pair in my purse and, combined with my Samsung device, instantly have a minimalist workstation that takes up a fraction of the space my laptop would. Add in some good audio, extra features like Samsung DeX compatibility and display customization, and you can score a pretty powerful on-the-go package. That's what I was hoping for when I picked up the XReal One AR glasses, the latest pair that I tested.
I tested the XReal One AR Glasses for two months. Here's my full review.
But for AR glasses, this pair can feel complicated: The XReal Ones are packed with a slew of different customization options that can seem overwhelming even for the most seasoned AR enthusiasts. For casual users, there are a few features to consider before you decide to splurge on this pair. I tested the XReal Ones for a couple of months, using them as a portable workstation as well as pairing them with my Nintendo Switch. Here are my thoughts on their design and performance across my laptop, Switch and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
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Display: Simulated 147-inch 1080p Full HD Micro OLED (Sony 0.6-inch micro OLED) | Field of view: 50 degrees | Brightness: 600 perceived nits | Nosepads: 1 non-swappable
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The XReal Ones look sleek—even more so than another pair of AR glasses I recently tested, the Viture Pro XR glasses. I bring up one of the XReal's competitors because of a front-and-center design choice. There's a major difference here between the two: The Viture Pros have built-in myopia adjustments. The XReals don't offer this feature; instead, you'll have to send the lenses off for prescriptions. If your eyesight requires a prescription, XRreal recommends lenses from Honsvr.
I'm mixed on this choice. On one hand, it keeps the footprint fairly small, but for those who swap between contacts and glasses, this feels like a major issue. As a frequent flier, my contacts quickly start to feel like sandpaper in those dry plane cabins. XReal's two options for users with a prescription—to insert prescription lenses or to wear contact lenses—are inconvenient for someone like me. Some days, I already have my contacts in when I boot up AR glasses, and other times I'm wearing my glasses. I don't want to have to choose between the two, and this frustrates me.
The XReal One AR Glasses have a sleek design.
One feature I'm universally keen on: You can adjust the interpupillary distance (IPD) in the settings, which can make the display smaller or larger, depending on your needs. It's a nice feature to have if you feel a little cross-eyed when you toss the glasses on.
The micro OLED lenses allow you to adjust the lens transparency from Clear Mode (for keeping an eye on the kids) to a middle dimming mode to Theatre Mode (when you want privacy while you work or stream). All three modes are lovely and work well even in sunlight, though Theater gives you the most privacy. Additionally, the On-Frame Button Array has a series of control buttons on each temple side; making adjustments with these buttons is easy and feels very intuitive.
Where the XReal stumbles in design, the glasses excel in software. With the On-Frame Button Array, you double-press the red button to open the settings menu where you can customize your viewing experience. The glasses themselves offer a 50-degree, wider field of view that claims it can reach up to 147 inches of spatial screen. (Ultrawide mode can curve the display up to 310 inches, but more on that in a second.) I would believe that, but you may not notice it since the glasses themselves go by display size and throw distance. The calculations get complicated.
But that's what's great about them: Increase the display size, adjust your throw distance—heck, you can even adjust the color gradients to warm or cool temperatures. The glasses also come with many, many more extras, including 3D Mode, Ultrawide Mode and more. For those who aren't used to AR, it may feel overwhelming to have so many options at your fingertips. For veterans of the space, plan to deep-dive into the settings. It's 100% worth it and it feels like a treat.
The On-Frame Button Array is useful for making quick adjustments. Note the speaker at the end of the ... More temple.
That said, I had some major issues getting the Ultrawide Mode to work; plan to troubleshoot it to get it to function properly. If you don't have a DisplayPort on your machine, it's not worth the hassle. The same goes for the 3D Mode: If you're not planning on using it heavily, it's not worth the frustration. And, unlike the Viture Pros, you can't adjust for a three-way monitor setup on the display. But if don't need that setup, this won't matter to you.
Another feature that wowed me was the ability to adjust the picture between stationary and head tracking, called Anchor and Follow respectively. There were moments when I needed to keep Anchor on while I was working, but for gaming, I preferred Follow for when I was curled up on the sofa playing my Nintendo Switch.
One of my favorite ways to use these glasses is to attach them to the XReal Hub. Yes, you read that right: You need the Hub to game on the Nintendo Switch, as simply plugging the glasses directly into the Switch won't work. This Hub is a Nintendo software workaround so you can game with them. I would have preferred a portable power bank paired with the Hub, like the Viture Pros offer, but so long as you're near a charger, it won't matter.
Colors look vivid on the display no matter what settings I chose, and gameplay feels very responsive thanks to a built-in 120Hz refresh rate. Under the hood, there's another factor at play here: A dedicated AR processor XReal called the X1 chip can hit a 3ms latency that was built to enhance the display, from increasing the refresh rate to reducing displays quirks like distortion. That's important, because when you turn your head, the images slightly blur. The chip aims to reduce those disruptions.
Plan to pick up the XReal Hub (far right) in order to use the XReal Ones with your Nintendo Switch.
And in short, it works. The XReals looked better than the Viture Pros when I'm gaming. To be clear, that's not a knock against the Viture Pros, since both AR glasses showcase gorgeously. But after testing across various games like Stardew Valley, Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and more, the XReals have an upper edge here.
And, of course, for your audio, you can use your own headphones to pair to the Nintendo Switch, or you can use the XReal speakers. XReal and Bose partnered to create a decent audio experience, but don't expect them to be as good as a pair of wireless headphones—and definitely don't expect deep, punchy bases and super-rich details. It's good enough, however, that I skipped my headphones for most sessions.
Remember when I mentioned the Anchor versus Follow modes? This is where the Nintendo Switch shines. I can lie on my sofa and enjoy a massive screen without even sitting up. Yes, you can do this with the Viture Pros, but they don't offer a stationary mode. It's nice knowing that if I want to, I can literally anchor the display on the ceiling while I become truly sloth-like.
Plug into the XReal Ones using a single USB-C cable.
That said, if you're planning on gaming for long hours, please plug into the TV–after a few hours, the eye strain and eye fatigue is noticeable. I believe this is a glasses-wide issue, no matter what pair you're using.
By far, one of the absolute top ways to use this pair of AR glasses is with a Samsung device. I used it regularly with two devices, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. You won't get a similar experience on other phones, since the Google Pixle 9 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro only mirror to display. But in general, most Samsung devices feature software called DeX, which essentially transforms the compatible phone or tablet into a makeshift laptop, complete with movable tabs. I plugged these glasses into my Samsung devices and opened DeX mode.
Connect a keyboard like the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 wireless keyboard, and in a pinch, the whole setup is a smaller laptop. That's where the Hub also comes in: If you're worried about battery life, you can use the Hub to power your cell phone while you use the Samsung device. If you do this, keep an eye on the Hub because it gets pretty toasty, which threw me for a loop.
You can get a special prescription installed in the lenses if you need myopia adjustments.
For those who need to work for a few hours and need an extra boost, though, it's a game-changer. Just keep in mind that when you use this setup, you'll likely deal with a rat's nest of cables. (I would know—most of this review was typed on my sofa using four items: the XReal Ones, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, the Logitech Keys-To-Go 2 and the XReal Hub to help bring it all together.) And when you're sitting on a plane just watching downloaded TV, you really only need two things, anyway, based on my experience: the glasses and your phone.
I'm a huge fan of the XReal One AR glasses. They successfully blend a micro OLED display into a smaller package that can be used for a slew of tasks, from working on spreadsheets to just relaxing to watching a movie on a plane. Especially for Samsung users, DeX can help you 'hack' a minimalist workstation.
But its other main perk is that for those with a strong need for a prescription, these are for you, as you can add special lenses. Again, for contact lens users with weaker prescriptions, this may elicit a mixed reaction, especially since the Viture Pros can negate the need for myopia adjustments to an extent. Ultimately, it's up to your needs and preferences.
For those who are diving into the world of AR glasses, these would be a good choice, but keep in mind that the Ones are feature-packed. That's both a boon and a caveat, especially for new users. I'm really glad that I had a chance to try out another pair of AR glasses prior to testing these; I would have been overwhelmed by the options. But for veterans of the AR world, these glasses feel like they can do everything you'd want them to, plus some extras thrown in for good measure. And with a price point of around $500, it's pretty impressive they kept the cost so reasonable.
I tested the XReal One AR Glasses for a few months, using them daily as a part of my workstation and taking them on trips so I could test them while flying. I also extensively gamed on them from the comfort of my couch, booting up various gaming consoles I have strewn about my home to see how the software and accessories performed.
In addition to testing the software on the Nintendo Switch, I also evaluated compatibility with my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra phone and its DeX ecosystem, to see how it held up to streaming and 'computer' tasks on the go. I tested it against the Google Pixel 9 Pro and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro to see how each mobile device's software compared. I also dove deep into the On-Frame Button Array and settings, checking how versatile the AR system was for various applications from work to play.
I've been a tech journalist for over six years, including more than a year as the consumer tech and electronics editor at Forbes Vetted. In addition testing home entertainment products, like the best gaming TVs, I have also tried out most of the latest smart wearables currently on the market, from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to the Apollo Wearable and more. Most recently, I tested the Viture Pro XR Glasses, a direct competitor to the XReal Ones.
When testing tech gear, I focus on aspects of products that I think are of interest to everyone. For this story, I considered casual folks who want to use a pair AR glasses for catching the occasional flick on a plane to seasoned tech enthusiasts who want to maximize their on-the-go work. I also regularly cross-test products against the competition to see how each device performs.
When I'm not trying out the latest wearables, I also spend plenty of time testing the newest mobile devices. I've deep-dived into the Apple ecosystem with the iPhone 16 Pro and reviewed many Android devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8. Most recently, I tested the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.