Xreal’s One AR glasses deliver first-class fun for gaming on the go

one of my favorite steam deck The cost of upgrading is even higher than the Steam Deck. I’ve been testing Xreal’s new $499 One AR glasses, which act as an external display for the console by connecting a USB-C cable between the two. The One Glasses also work with other devices that can push video from the USB-C port, such as certain phones, tablets, and computers, but unfortunately not the Nintendo Switch (fingers crossed it’s supported on the Nintendo Switch) switch 2).

While wearing sunglasses can be a bit conspicuous indoors, it’s a more comfortable way to play games, allowing me to look straight ahead or in any direction I want, rather than hunched over to look at the Steam Deck screen. I think this would be great and maybe more worthwhile for travelers who want a big screen experience while traveling. For most others, it’s an unnecessary first-class expense, but it’s a lot of fun to use.

For such a gadget, they’re impressive. Like previous Xreal glasses, the One features micro-OLED displays embedded in the top edge of the glasses, which are projected and merged to appear as one giant screen in front of you. The side arms of the glasses contain speakers (tuned by Bose) that push audio directly toward your ears. In terms of volume, these definitely reach “public nuisance” territory, but at reasonable volumes, only the wearer is likely to hear them. Then, when you’re done, they fold up into a relatively compact box.

I’m always on the lookout for accessories that will help me game more comfortably, in part because, as a new dad, my gaming time is currently limited to about 30 minutes before bed at night. I want every second to be fun and feel good. I made great progress on this when I got $64 Mechanical game pillowlike a bean bag that sits on your lap, with an adjustable stand on top. Instead of holding the Steam Deck in front of me, the pillow supports its weight at the best angle for my neck and in an ideal position within reach of my arms. The pillow alone is probably a good enough upgrade for most people, but when used with the Xreal One, I think it’s a pretty ideal couch setup.

The One’s screen is larger in size and field of view (FOV) than Air 2 Proprevious version. These 0.68-inch-per-eye screens can create an image equivalent to the 171-inch screen in front of you, with an FOV of 50 degrees compared to 46 degrees (if that sounds small, that’s because it is!). The glasses are powered by whatever device you plug them into, which means they may drain your device’s battery faster than usual, but if your device’s screen turns off while the One is plugged in (as is the case with the Deck), then The power consumption seems to be more or less offset.

Aside from the subtle improvements on the screen, the new X1 chip inside the Xreal One glasses also makes them worth a step over their predecessors if you’re considering making a big purchase. It is worth noting that the chip supports 3 degrees of freedom (3DOF). In other words, it can track your head movement, whether you look left or right, up or down, or tilt your head to adjust the screen direction. When you move, it’s very comfortable to watch from any angle. The Air 2 Pro can do this, too, but only if you also buy the $200 standalone, phone-like device called the Beam Pro and connect it via a separate USB-C cable. Happily, this feature is available inside the new One AR glasses.

Another improvement is digital interpupillary distance (IPD) adjustment. While it’s not as high-definition as physically adjusting the lens like the Meta Quest and Valve Index VR headsets, it’s great to have any kind of adjustment options for the Xreal One. After realizing that I basically couldn’t use the Air 2 Pro unless I purchased prescription lenses, I’m glad that the One’s IPD settings are enough that I don’t need additional lenses. However, if you need prescription frames, there are options.

I enjoy using the Xreal One enough to play most games death stranding Through them, right now, I’m continuing an old save file Cyberpunk 2077. The contrast of each game looks stunning on these small OLED screens. But even if these AR glasses are flawless, it’s hard to recommend them at $500 unless you’re a hardcore traveler. There are a few other issues that anyone considering purchasing these products should be aware of.

While I appreciate that the monitor can achieve a smooth 120 Hz refresh rate, if you view low-resolution text and graphics, content looks extra blurry, which is exactly what I got from the Steam Deck (which likes to play in games Force 720p or 800p). The One’s top resolution is 1080p, and in most cases content is clearer at that resolution.

Call me a nitpicker, but the way the Xreal One’s displays merge to create the entire image is so effective that I can’t ignore how small the FOV is compared to most VR headsets. However, on the plus side, this small field of view allows you to easily see around the screen, which can be useful if you want to maintain some awareness of what’s going on around you while gaming. Another thing worth noting is that some parts of the entire picture look blurry than others (especially the edges of the field of view). This is especially noticeable if you turn off head tracking for locked pictures, as you can selectively focus on each part of the virtual screen to find glitches. That said, if you’re in the game’s flow state, you probably won’t notice this – until you click on the inventory screen with tiny text and icons.

Even if you can ignore (or don’t really notice) these issues, the Xreal One costs a hefty $499. So, just out of curiosity, I wonder where the $299 comes from? Meta Task 3S Even the older Quest 2 can serve as an economical alternative to smart AR glasses. Both options are a lot of Heavier than the Xreal One (and, for me, painful to wear for too long unless you have Elite strap). I still find both headphones offer a solid experience that rivals the One’s quality at a lower price point. That being said, using a VR headset with a Steam Deck isn’t a plug-and-play thing, and you may need to purchase some accessories to make it work properly.

Specifically, you’ll need to buy an HDMI capture card and maybe a cable or two. There are a few ways to connect the Quest to your Steam Deck (or whatever handheld gaming computer you have), but the method I’ve found successful is to use $50 Genki Shadowcast 2. It has a USB-C input on one side and an HDMI output on the other, allowing me to connect from the Quest to the Shadowcast 2 using a USB-C to USB-C cable. Affordable small USB-C dock I laid it around and inserted it into the Steam Deck as the final piece of the puzzle. You can also grab a USB-C to HDMI output cable Then insert a HDMI input capture card that plugs into the USB-C port. As you can see, this can get a little messy with cables and adapters, but it gets the job done.

From there, you need to install Meta Quest HDMI Link App onto your Quest headset. When you’re ready to try it, you won’t find the new app in the Quest’s app library unless you click the drop-down bar near the upper right corner of the screen to change the app source to “Prototype.” This is where HDMI Link currently stands. After launching the app and accepting its hardware permissions and selecting the highest possible resolution and frame rate, you should be able to see if the video source is coming through. Then, all that’s left to do is maximize the screen, or place it at the perfect size for your space, and enjoy gaming on a device that’s hundreds cheaper than the Xreal One. The Quest also has many other features, such as running standalone VR games such as Batman: Shadow of Arkhamplus connect wirelessly to my gaming PC to play Half-Life: Alyx,etc.

However, despite its smaller price, not everyone will be sold on the Quest’s multi-step process. Despite its issues, the Xreal One is still a more convenient and easier-to-use gadget for displaying your games on a big personal screen.