I love it 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 its $449 1S that’s light on features but with just enough of the 1S’ best qualities. These AR glasses are comfortable, they look good, and the screens are surprisingly bright and contrast-rich for the price.
The new glasses are super lightweight at 62 grams — over 20 grams lighter than the 1S. They’re as light as I wish every model was, but the frame feels flimsy by comparison. Its durability came into question when I adjusted the A01 Plus’ temple arms to center the screens. They require more of a gentle touch, so as to not over-muscle the frame that houses its delicate micro OLED panels and birdbath optics, or pop off its modular eyeglasses shell.
Speaking of those shells, customization is a big selling point for the A01 Plus. Xreal includes a shell that puts tinted lenses on the other side of its screens, and it can be swapped with other covers, even 3D printed ones in the future. Removing them requires gently tugging on its edges near where the temple arms attach, which feels risky to do until you get the hang of it. The company provided an alternate cover that accentuates the A01 Plus’ bright screens and keeps reflections out of view.
The new AR glasses lack electrochromic lens tech with adjustable opacity, which is standard across most models, but I don’t mind the omission here. The A01 Plus have reflective films covering the back of their optics that are passable at preventing light from disrupting the experience. One of the removable covers included with the review unit is better at blocking out light than the pricier 1S. I held my phone’s flashlight right up to the lens as I wore them and I could barely see it.
As with every pair of AR glasses that I’ve tested, I 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 appeared very blurry. However, Xreal provided a set of HonsVR prescription lenses that drastically improved clarity. The glasses have an IPD range of 54.5mm to 74.5mm, but I can’t guarantee that you’ll have a better experience than I did out of the box unless you buy some lens inserts, which will likely cost around $50.
Some of my complaints about the A01 Plus come from being spoiled from using the $449 1S. The biggest feature omission here is three degrees of freedom, a feature that gives you the option to lock your virtual screen in position. Xreal aims to bridge the gap between zero and three degrees of freedom with a toggleable stabilization feature that operates kind of like a gimbal. It does a decent job of reducing unwanted screen movements (moving it just a little instead of a lot), but it introduces jitter that’s easy to spot with text. Also, audio quality is decent on the A01 Plus, but they don’t get nearly as loud as the 1S, and they’re comparatively lacking in the lows and mids.
I understand cutting three degrees of freedom and sound quality to reach a lower price point, but other omissions don’t make as much sense. The A01 Plus has nearly the same button layout as 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 — equivalent to 147 inches with a 50-degree field of view that I can’t clearly see the borders of — and you can’t make it bigger or smaller like other glasses allow. It’s weird that these are apparently considered too premium to include in the A01 Plus.
Despite its shortcomings, the A01 Plus glasses are exactly what some people will be after: a relatively affordable set of USB-C AR glasses for mirroring their games, movies, or whole computer screens on. They’re lighter on features, but they nail the basics, with bright screens, serviceable audio quality, and a comfy, lightweight build. I’m actually impressed with all that’s included for the price.
The features you get by spending $150 more for the 1S might be worth the plunge for some, but generally the A01 Plus are great for first-time buyers who don’t want to spend more than $300 (just make sure to factor in the $50 you may need to spend on prescription lenses).
Photography by Cameron Faulkner/The Verge
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