The new XREAL smart glasses, “XREAL xbx a01+“, were released on July 6th. This is the first device under XREAL’s sub-brand “xbx”. The price is 43,980 yen (including tax). To be honest, it’s very cheap. Considering that typical AR glasses and smart glasses for watching videos cost between 60,000 and 80,000 yen, this is an exceptionally low price.
However, the real issue is its actual performance. Now that I’ve had a chance to use this device again, I’ll review my experience with it.
It’s light! And it looks cool!
The “XREAL xbx a01+” is primarily a device designed for viewing videos and playing games by connecting it to a PC or smartphone via cable. It’s important to note that it doesn’t offer the high-performance AI navigation or AR experiences of the “XREAL Aura” AR glasses, which are scheduled for release this fall. It’s specifically designed to enlarge your smartphone screen and allow you to enjoy high-quality visuals.
I picked it up. It’s light. The total weight is about 62g (with the front frame attached). XREAL’s AR glasses, “XREAL 1S,” weigh about 82g (excluding the nose pads), so this is about 20g lighter. The difference is obvious. Until now, smart glasses that display images tend to feel heavy on the nose because the display is on the glasses part, and I had the impression that they would slip down after prolonged use, but with this weight, they are less likely to slip down.
And what’s really caught my attention is how cool it looks. The front lens is a very vibrant blue, and in a good way, it doesn’t look too much like a gadget. With previous AR glasses, the display components are inevitably visible through the glass, so you can tell at a glance that they’re not ordinary sunglasses, but this device doesn’t have that problem. That’s what makes it look cool. Judging from the atmosphere of the official website, the target audience for this device is clearly 20-30 year old beginner users who have never used glasses before. I’m sure this level of attention to design was necessary to get them to pick it up.
This brightness makes up for all the other shortcomings.
Now, the specifications are as shown in the table. It’s easier to understand if we compare it to the “XREAL 1S,” so we’ll list them together.
| item | XREAL xbx a01+ | XREAL 1S |
| Price (tax included) | 43,980 yen | 67,980 yen |
| Main unit weight | 62g (56g with lens cover removed) | 82g |
| Spatial processor | Not included | Equipped with XREAL X1 (4nm) |
| Tracking function | 0DoF (tracking display/image stabilization mode) | Native 3DoF (fixed screen space, ultrawide support) |
| display | SeeYa 0.6-inch Micro-OLED | Sony 0.68-inch Micro-OLED |
| Resolution (per eye) | 1920 × 1080（FHD / 16:9） | 1920 × 1200（WUXGA / 16:10） |
| Field of view (FOV) | 50 degrees (equivalent to approximately 147 inches at a distance of 4 meters) | 52 degrees (equivalent to approximately 385-500 inches at a distance of 10m) |
| Maximum Brightness | 1,600 nits | 700 nits |
| refresh rate | Max 120Hz | Max 120Hz |
| Image quality and HDR function | HDR10 / AI SDR-to-HDR conversion | ΔE < 3 color accuracy / HDR |
| Real-time 2D to 3D conversion | Not supported | Supported (REAL 3D function) |
| Dimming function | Detachable 100% light-blocking lens shield | Electrochromic automatic and manual dimming |
| audio | Master speaker (optimized design for near-ear listening) | Bose-supervised cinematic sound |
| Connection method | USB-C（DP Alt Mode） | USB-C（DP Alt Mode） |
What’s concerning is that the resolution and viewing angle have been reduced, and the audio is no longer Bose Cinematic Sound. Furthermore, features like dimming, the ability to fix the virtual display position (XREAL 1S), and real-time 3D rendering are also missing. To be honest, it feels like a lot of the performance has been cut back.
However, when you actually use it, you’ll be surprised at how easy the image is to see. The image is very sharp. This is probably due to the maximum brightness. This device is 1,600 nits, which is much brighter than the 1S. To be honest, I think small text in PDFs is hard to read, but this brightness is very welcome when watching anime or playing games. In that sense, I feel that it was designed with the sole purpose of being a “device for watching videos.” To be honest, I didn’t have high expectations for the display’s readability at first because it was an inexpensive device, but I feel that this brightness makes up for various shortcomings.
On the other hand, there are some clear points of dissatisfaction. The frame has bars for adjusting brightness and volume, but I often found myself changing the brightness when I wanted to change the volume. The specification is to long-press the bar to switch between them, but the timing of this switch is quite difficult to understand at first glance. It’s worth remembering that it will take some getting used to to operate.
Furthermore, while the menu screen allows you to adjust the display size and switch image stabilization modes, the button operation for this is not comfortable. There seems to be a lag between pressing a button and the action being reflected, and I ended up pressing the wrong button many times. This is an unpleasantness I didn’t experience with the XREAL 1S, so it’s probably a problem unique to this device. That said, it’s not a device that requires such fine adjustments, so perhaps it’s best to just accept it as it is.
Incidentally, I found the image stabilization mode to be so good that I wanted to keep it on all the time. This feature is especially appreciated by users who like to lie down or look upwards, as it’s stressful when the screen shifts with even slight head movements.
Thus, it can be said that this device has the minimum necessary functions for users. Of course, users who have tried many AR devices will undoubtedly have requests for improvements and find it lacking. However, it can be recommended for beginner users who are interested in smart glasses but haven’t been able to take the plunge. To return to the beginning, this price range is very accessible. It’s within the price range where you could give it as a gift to family or close friends (if the issues mentioned in this article concern you, you could choose the XREAL 1S. If you want the best device currently available, it’s not too late to wait for the XREAL Aura, which is scheduled to be released this fall).
Want to watch videos on a big screen while on a summer vacation trip, or enjoy games while relaxing at home in the cool of your house? If so, why not try these smart glasses, “XREAL xbx a01+”?
The official website is here: https://jp.shop.xreal.com/products/xreal-xbx-a01