Xreal's new Air 2 Ultra glasses have the Apple Vision Pro in their sights
Xreal's new Air 2 Ultra glasses have the Apple Vision Pro in their sights
Xreal hopes to offer an alternative to the Apple Vision Pro with a significantly cheaper price point
Xreal has shown off its new Air 2 Ultra glasses at CES 2024 and they could provide some competition for the Apple Vision Pro.
Priced at a far more affordable $699, the Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses provide full positional tracking in a sunglasses-style form factor. You can use them to create a big-screen cinematic experience when watching movies or playing games, but what makes the Air 2 Ultra glasses a potential Apple Vision Pro rival is that they’re also capable of running AR apps.
Like the Apple Vision Pro, Xreal says the Air 2 Ultra glasses are designed for “spatial computing” with hand tracking enabled via the two 3D cameras located on each side of the glasses. You’ll also be able to watch spatial videos.
As with most AR glasses, you’ll need an external computing unit to power the Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses, with the Samsung Galaxy S22, S23 and iPhone 15 the only smartphones supported for now.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses
🆚 The Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses are the first Apple Vision Pro rival
👏 They cost $699 and are expected to ship in March
🤩 The Air 2 Ultra glasses are capable of “spatial computing”
🤔 If developers support the Air 2 Ultra, they could be a great alternative to the Vision Pro
Speaking about the new product, Chi Xu, founder and CEO of Xreal said: “We put 6DoF AR glasses on the map with our Nreal Light model in 2020 and are thrilled to unveil its highly-requested successor. Xreal Air 2 Ultra packs in tons of spatial computing tech in a smaller, more comfortable, and much more stylish form factor than what others are producing today.”
The Air 2 Ultra features micro OLED panels with 1080p resolution for each eye, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz, and a peak brightness of 500 nits. When using 3D mode, the refresh rate drops to 90hz and the peak brightness falls to 250 nits.
Unlike the Apple Vision Pro, which costs $3,499, the Air 2 Ultra is already an attractive option due to its lightweight and unintrusive design. Testers have already complained that Apple’s headset is too heavy to be worn for long periods, so if developers get behind Xreal’s vision for spatial computing, it could be an unexpected hit.
You can pre-order the Xreal Air 2 Ultra now for $699 with shipments expected to begin in March. Those who purchased a Nreal Light are eligible for a $100 discount.