ASUS’s gaming brand ROG has announced the “ROG XREAL R1 Gaming AR Glasses” (hereinafter ROG XREAL R1) in Japan, bearing the name of XREAL. Based on XREAL’s display glasses, it incorporates the gaming device expertise that ASUS/ROG has accumulated over its long history.
This product includes the ROG Control Dock, which features not only USB Type-C but also HDMI and DisplayPort input terminals.
Although the name includes “AR Glasses,” these are gaming displays worn on the face that combine ASUS/ROG’s gaming monitor philosophy with XREAL’s optics and wearable foam.
Above all, it offers smooth display thanks to its high refresh rate of 240Hz.
Panel parts that function as heat sinks
I had the chance to try out the actual device at the press conference, and the glasses section has a design unlike anything seen before in the XREAL series, even looking back to the Nreal era. The frame has a distinctly cybernetic feel.
The display panel is a 0.55-inch microOLED manufactured by Sony Semiconductor Solutions. It has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920×1080 per eye. Brightness is 700 nits. Viewing angle is 57 degrees. Latency is 0.01ms, although the M2P latency is listed as 3ms.
Based on the specs, it seems to use the same panel and optics as the XREAL One Pro, but the ROG XREAL R1 boasts a 240Hz frame rate and a 106% sRGB color gamut.
Unlike previous XREAL products, the panel that wraps around from the front to the sides is made of metal. This acts as a heatsink, which helps dissipate heat from the display panel.
The temples have built-in RGB light bars, giving them a gaming device look. These RGB light bars can also be turned off.
The speakers feature Bose tuning, ensuring that even sound effects like explosions are reproduced with excellent bass. While it’s a gaming device, it’s also extremely well-suited for content that combines sound and visuals, such as live performances and music videos.
The external lens has three levels of electrochromic light adjustment. As you can see, you can either lower the light transmission to increase the dynamic range of the image, or increase the light transmission to make the outside world easier to see.
It also features a spatial locking mode using a 3DoF sensor. If you shake your head during gameplay and the image moves out of your field of view, it automatically reduces the transmittance of the external lens so you can see your surroundings.
The virtual displays are said to be 428 inches at a distance of 10 meters and 171 inches at a distance of 4 meters.
The optics unit employs X-Prism. Although it appears blocky, it is actually a birdbath type (an optical structure that reflects the display image using a curved half-mirror). The surrounding area is covered to prevent light from entering, so the user’s clothing color will not be reflected. You can become deeply immersed in the world of images.
The controller is located on the right temple, featuring menu, +/-, and quick buttons.
ROG Dock Control, which also allows you to operate the glass display.
The ROG XREAL R1 comes with the ROG Control Dock, a feature not found in previous XREAL products. This hub unit allows you to connect to multiple game consoles and PCs while maximizing the performance of the ROG XREAL R1’s glasses display.
The input terminals include two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort, and one USB Type-C port. There is also a USB Type-C port for power. It can generally be powered via bus power, but if you are using a port that does not have a built-in power supply, such as HDMI or DisplayPort, you will need to use a USB AC adapter or similar.
There is one USB Type-C port on the front. This port is for connecting to the Glasses Display.
The controller on the top allows you to operate the glass display, switch inputs on the ROG Control Dock, and turn ASUS/ROG’s proprietary features on or off.
While the ROG XREAL R1 can function with a glasses display and a game console, features such as HDR for a wider color gamut and more vibrant visual experience, a crosshair reticle (the “crosshairs” displayed inside the lens of a scope or sight) for more comfortable FPS gameplay, GamePlus for displaying an FPS counter, and GameVisual for tuning the image according to the genre of game or video require connection to the ROG Control Dock.
Seeking a screen size difficult to achieve with conventional monitors: The reason ROG partnered with XREAL
ASUS previously released a glasses display called AirVision M1. How did this collaborative project begin? We spoke with Kuo Paul (left), Director and Manager Product of ASUS/ROG, and Zhiqiang Yin (right), Director of Marketing Overseas, Manager General of XREAL Japan, and Head of Pacific Asia Region.
—Why did ASUS/ROG decide to enter the glass display market? Could you tell us about the background?
ASUS/ROG KUO: The ROG gaming brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Up until now, we have developed gaming monitors ranging from 15.6 inches to 49 inches, but we realized there was a demand for even larger monitors to make racing games and other genres more enjoyable, so we even developed a 65-inch monitor. However, we felt that even this size was insufficient, and that’s when the idea of a glass display came into our sights.
—Why did you decide to collaborate with XREAL?
ASUS/ROG KUO: After doing some research, we concluded that XREAL’s technology was a step ahead of the other companies. So we contacted them directly and asked, “Could we collaborate to create gaming AR glasses?”
—When it comes to large virtual displays, there are XR headsets like the Meta Quest and Pico4 Ultra, but is there a reason why you decided to work on a glasses-type product rather than something like that?
ASUS/ROG KUO: The main reason is that the glasses display is lighter than the XR HMD. It would be a burden for people who want to play games for long periods of time. However, although this product is a glasses display, we would like to create a product that is closer to an HMD.
—Could you tell us how the ROG XREAL R1 differs from previous models?
XREAL’s Yoon: In terms of hardware, it supports a high refresh rate of 240Hz and has an ultra-fast response time of 0.01ms. In terms of user experience, it’s the first pair of glasses in Japan to support the HDR standard, so the visual experience is significantly different compared to previous models. Also, with the ROG Control Dock, we can now provide an input hub that allows you to connect various gaming devices.
—What aspects of the ROG XREAL R1 development were ASUS/ROG’s responsibility?
ASUS/ROG KUO: I led the development of the ROG Dock Control, providing end-user feedback and display settings that we had accumulated, and we took the lead in adjusting the quality at 240Hz.
—Looking at the specs, I got the impression that the XREAL One Pro is the base model.
XREAL’s Yoon: We’re using the same optics as the XREAL One Pro. You could say it’s a higher-end model of the XREAL One Pro.
*It is also possible to use insert lenses from the XREAL Pro One.
Is it a must-buy for gamers?
The press conference venue featured numerous ROG XREAL R1 demo stations. Attendees could connect the device to gaming laptops, mini gaming PCs, PS5s, and other devices to test its performance.
They are comfortable to wear. Weighing 91g, they are slightly heavier than some other glasses displays, but the balance when worn is good, and the added weight isn’t noticeable. Indeed, these seem like they would be comfortable even during long gaming sessions.
The game I actually tried was the PC version of “Monster Hunter Wilds.” The smoothness of the visuals was outstanding. Both the character you control and the enemy characters feel incredibly lifelike, even though they are CG. It seems that not only the size of the virtual display but also the high frame rate are important elements for immersion in a game.
However, at this point, I can’t say that I’ve fully experienced the performance of the ROG XREAL R1.
In Monster Hunter Wilds, it wasn’t possible to move to the locations of large bosses, so the display performance in scenes requiring precise timing, such as perfect guards, remains unconfirmed. Similarly, I feel it’s necessary to test it in competitive fighting games, FPS games, racing games, and music games where high frame rates and low latency directly impact scores and win rates.
I also noticed that the rendering of small text on the screen was somewhat blurry at high frame rates. This might be improved with a firmware update, but players who want to fully grasp text information even at high frame rates should be aware of this.
According to the demonstrator, it’s possible to achieve a 240Hz display even without using the ROG Control Dock. In that case, even if you can’t use all the features, there’s still the advantage of being able to carry around a huge virtual display with a high frame rate, or to practice right before a match on the living room sofa or in a hotel while traveling or on a trip, instead of having to be in your own room equipped with serious gaming devices.
Furthermore, its compact size makes it an ideal display for users who own portable gaming PCs such as the ROG Xbox Ally X or ROG Xbox Ally.
It offers both a beautiful visual experience and an immersive musical experience, making it a great choice for casual players who enjoy open-world games at their own pace. While it is expensive, considering that 40-inch 240Hz gaming monitors currently cost around 180,000 yen, the ROG XREAL R1’s price might actually be considered a bargain.
The price is 141,550 yen (1-year warranty) at the official XREAL shop, Amazon, and the official ASUS online store. At ASUS ROG distributors, it comes with a 2-year warranty and costs 160,360 yen.
As a special bonus for the first 300 customers, you will receive the XREAL Eye (¥13,980), a camera unit that also functions as 6DoF AR glasses, and the ROG Keris II Ace gaming mouse (¥15,800 on Amazon), which boasts an 8000Hz polling rate. In addition, GAGUUU gaming chairs will be 10% off.
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https://rog.asus.com/jp/glasses/rog-xreal-r1/