Xreal A01 Plus AR Glasses Offer Affordable Entry to Immersive Displays

Xreal has launched its latest augmented reality glasses, the A01 Plus, priced at $299, offering a more budget-friendly alternative to its existing $449 1S model. These new glasses aim to strike a balance, providing essential AR capabilities with a focus on comfort and visual quality, even at a lower price point. The A01 Plus weighs a mere 62 grams, making them notably lighter than the 1S, which itself is praised for its comfort. Despite their feather-light construction, the frame requires a gentle approach, particularly when adjusting the temple arms or swapping the modular eyeglass shells that house the delicate micro OLED panels and optics.

Customization is a key selling point for the A01 Plus, with Xreal including an interchangeable shell that features tinted lenses to enhance screen contrast and reduce glare. The company suggests that further customization options, including 3D-printed covers, may be available in the future. While the A01 Plus lacks the electrochromic lens technology found in some other AR devices, which allows for adjustable opacity, the included reflective films on the back of the optics are surprisingly effective at preventing external light from disrupting the viewing experience. In testing, even a bright phone flashlight held directly to the lens was barely visible.

AR Experience and User Adaptations

When paired with devices like the Steam Deck, the A01 Plus deliver a 1080p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and impressive brightness and contrast for their price. However, initial visual clarity was a challenge, with screens appearing blurry out of the box. This was significantly improved by using HonsVR prescription lens inserts, which cost an estimated $50. The glasses offer an adjustable Interpupillary Distance (IPD) range of 54.5mm to 74.5mm, but users may find that purchasing lens inserts is almost a necessity for optimal sharpness.

A notable omission compared to the pricier 1S model is the full three degrees of freedom (3DoF) tracking, which allows users to lock virtual screens in place. Xreal has implemented a toggleable stabilization feature, functioning somewhat like a gimbal, to offer a compromise. While this feature helps reduce excessive screen movement, it can introduce a noticeable jitter, particularly when displaying text. Audio quality on the A01 Plus is described as decent, though it doesn't reach the volume levels of the 1S and is comparatively lacking in bass and mid-range frequencies.

Further cost-saving measures include the inability to adjust volume directly on the glasses, requiring users to control audio through their connected device. Additionally, the screen display size is fixed, equivalent to a 147-inch display with a 50-degree field of view, without the option to adjust its scale as seen in some competitor models. Despite these concessions, the Xreal A01 Plus glasses are positioned as an attractive option for consumers seeking an affordable entry into AR glasses for mirroring games, movies, or desktop applications. They successfully deliver bright screens, functional audio, and a comfortable, lightweight build, making them a strong contender for first-time buyers who want to stay under the $300 mark, with the caveat of potentially budgeting for prescription lens inserts.