The latest Xreal glasses are getting better and cheaper. There’s also a Switch Dock


Smart glasses in a while Accelerate change quicklyFast updates seem to be the norm. My favorite viewing glasses of the past year, Xrill OneI was blown away because they have great displays with many adjustment options, including the ability to lock the display into place. The new Xreal 1S you’ve seen before Consumer Electronics Show 2026Are these glasses better with gaming-focused display updates and better resolution. But the best part is that I am now linking them to Nintendo Switch 2thanks to the new $100 Xreal mini dock.

The $450 Xreal 1S is actually better overall than the more expensive model Xerial One Prowhich is still for sale. The Pro has a different, flat lens system that keeps glare down when you wear it. All of these glasses still use “birdbath” displays that project live micro OLED images over your eyes and down to you via half-mirror prisms, but the Xreal 1S’s displays have a slightly larger 52-degree field of view (up from 50), 700 nits of brightness (100 more than before), a 16:10 ratio, and a 1,200p resolution. This is better than the Pro’s 1080p resolution, a ratio better suited to gaming viewing modes.

Watch this: The new Xreal glasses and platform play well with the Nintendo Switch

I’ve been trying a pair of prescription lenses (the 1S works with the same inserts as the Xreal One), and they look great. Xreal has also updated its onboard processing tricks, adding automatic 3D media conversion via the headset’s chipset. However, the mode, which is in beta, seems very difficult. Steam Deck and Switch games (or movies, or your phone screen) can look 3D, but the automatic conversion is imprecise and dramatically reduces the frame rate throughout.

The 1S would be my top pick right now on Xerial One ProIf only I didn’t like the One Pro lenses more. But it’s possible that Xreal will update the Pro with the new 1S displays sometime soon. You may want to wait.

Xreal Neo battery base attached to Nintendo Switch 2

The base of the Xreal Neo battery pack has magnets and a kickstand, and has a small magnetic sticker to attach the Switch 2. It’s very small.

Scott Stein/CNET

What I like more than the glasses update is the Neo’s battery pack. It’s a new $100 mini dock that doubles as a passthrough adapter to work with the Nintendo Switch. It works with existing Xreal glasses as well as the new 1S, and I really like how easy it is to hold. Unlike Steam Deck, Windows laptops, phones, and laptops, the Switch doesn’t work natively with viewing glasses. But Xreal has found a workaround that somehow works well, even with Nintendo’s security firmware.

The 10,000 mAh battery pack can be used to charge anything and pass video via USB-C. There are magnets on the back that can attach to phones, and a kickstand too – but the Neo doesn’t have contactless charging. You have to connect using the built-in USB-C cable.

This isn’t the first time I’ve played Switch games using the display and dock glasses. Last year I tried Similar feature The dock has a capacity of 10,000 mAh, and is compatible with the Switch and Switch 2. However, neither company’s dock works with the company’s other headsets for Switch gaming, which is annoying. The Viture’s battery base allows for two glasses to be connected at once, but it’s almost twice the size. I like that the Neo is as compact as any other battery I usually take with me.

If only it weren’t so difficult to call these docks. Xreal does its best, but the Switch 2 only supports video output through the bottom USB-C port, not the top port. The Neo comes with a magnetic sticker that you can place on the back of the Switch, allowing you to attach it to the Neo in kickstand mode. This allows it to hover in the air a bit, so you can attach the cable below. But the Switch in docked mode only works with separate Joy-Con controllers, so you’ll have to rest your entire Switch setup next to you.

Xreal 1S glasses show the world of Mario Kart displayed through the lenses

I played Switch 2 games on board with the Xreal 1S and Neo. I’ve added a prescription lens here.

Scott Stein/CNET

I love the experience once it’s all set up, but using a dock is probably a step too far for most people — even if they like the idea of ​​playing with glasses on the Switch 2. But I will tell you, it feels like you’re playing in a small home theater, and the games I’ve tried look great in micro OLED. mario kart world, Donkey Kong Bananza and Kirby Air Riders Play imaginatively. The only one that has had performance issues so far is Metroid Prime 4which slows down and becomes unplayable with the Neo Dock. Also weird: The Switch 2 kept asking me if I wanted to update the dock’s firmware, which wouldn’t work anyway. (I said no.) Clearly, the Switch 2 isn’t a perfect handshake here.

But I seriously hope Nintendo works on glasses support on the upcoming Switch 2, because Xreal and Future have already shown me that it can be fun… if you feel motivated to buy the viewing glasses and dock that cost more than the Switch 2 itself.



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