Xreal’s new augmented reality glasses are much cheaper and fit almost as well

I love when a company challenges itself to make a cheaper version of a beloved product. Xreal’s $299 A01 Plus is a stripped-down version of the $449 1S that’s light on features but with enough of the 1S’s best qualities. These AR glasses are comfortable, look good, and the displays are surprisingly bright and contrast-rich for the price.

The new glasses are extremely lightweight at 62g – more than 20g lighter than the 1S. It’s as light as I hope every model is, but the frame feels flimsy in comparison. Its durability came into question when I adjusted the arms of the A01 Plus chassis to center the screens. They require a more gentle touch, so as not to overpower the frame housing the tiny micro-OLED panels and birdbath optics, or break away from the standard glasses casing.

Speaking of those shells, customization is a big selling point for the A01 Plus. Xreal includes a cover that places colored lenses on the other side of its displays, and could be replaced with other covers, even 3D-printed ones, in the future. Removing them requires gently tugging on their edges near where the temple arms attach, which sounds risky until you get the hang of it. The company has provided a replacement cover that highlights the A01 Plus’s bright displays and keeps reflections out of sight.

The new AR glasses lack the adjustable-opacity electrochemical lens technology that’s standard on most models, but I don’t mind the omission here. The A01 Plus has reflective films covering the back of its optics which are acceptable at keeping light from disrupting the experience. One of the removable covers included with our review unit is better at blocking out light than the pricier 1S. I held my phone’s flashlight directly up to the lens while I was wearing it and could barely see it.

As is the case with Every pair of augmented reality glasses I testedI played a lot of games from my Steam Deck on the A01 Plus. First impressions with these glasses were mixed. The 1080p resolution, brightness, 120Hz refresh rate, and contrast looked good, but the screens looked very blurry. However, Xreal has introduced a set of HonsVR prescription lenses that have greatly improved clarity. The glasses have an IPD range of 54.5mm to 74.5mm, but I can’t guarantee you’ll have a better experience than I did out of the box unless you purchase some lens accessories, which will likely cost around $50.

Some of my complaints about the A01 Plus come from spoiling the use of the $449 1S. The biggest overlooked feature here is Three Degrees of Freedom, a feature that gives you the option to lock your virtual screen into position. Xreal aims to bridge the gap between zero and three degrees of freedom with an interchangeable stabilization feature that acts sort of like a gimbal. It does a good job of reducing unwanted screen movements (moving it just a little instead of a lot), but it introduces jitter that’s easy to detect with text. Also, sound quality is good on the A01 Plus, but it’s not nearly as loud as the 1S, and the lows and mids are relatively lacking.

I understand cutting three degrees of freedom and sound quality to reach a lower price point, but the other omissions don’t make sense. The A01 Plus has almost the same button layout as the other Xreal models, but there’s currently no way to adjust the volume from the glasses. You have to go to the audio source instead. Also, the screen can only display content at one size — the equivalent of 147 inches with a 50-degree field of view whose borders I can’t see clearly — and you can’t zoom it in or out as other glasses allow. Oddly enough, these are considered too premium to be included in the A01 Plus.

Despite their flaws, the A01 Plus glasses are exactly what some people will be after: a relatively affordable set of USB-C AR glasses to mirror their games, movies, or entire computer screens. It’s lighter on features, but gets the basics right, with bright displays, serviceable sound quality, and a comfortable, lightweight build. I’m really impressed with everything that’s included in the price.

The features you get by spending an extra $150 over the 1S may be worth it for some, but overall, the A01 Plus is great for first-time buyers who don’t want to spend more than $300 (just be sure to account for the $50 you might need to spend on prescription lenses).

Photography by Cameron Faulkner/The Verge