But what they do offera portable display that can be worn all dayis excellent quality.
Your only problem will be finding an actual use case for them.
While wired mode works flawlessly, the Beam accessory for wireless transmission and AR features is barely functional.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
The broader problem is that they still have no compelling use case.
Augmented Reality?
The virtual experiences interact with your real world.
The Xreal Air 2 glasses offer a portable HD display that you can use all day, with prescription inserts if needed. While wired mode works flawlessly, the Beam accessory for wireless transmission and AR features is barely functional. The broader problem is that they still have no compelling use case.
It wont scan your surroundings, it wont interact with your furniture.
There are no cameras.
Its just a set of portable monitors strapped to your face.
Now, dont get me wrong: its very good at being that.
Its just not augmenting reality in any meaningful way.
This results in a maximum field of view of 46 degrees.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
This is not designed to offer a full surround immersive experience.
Even in full passthrough mode, in average lighting, I found the colors were vibrant and accurate.
So the precise quality of anything dark will vary.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
With this on, black levels are superb.
Xreal claims up to 500 nits of brightness is possible, which likely contributes to this.
I received a pair in sporty red, though black is also available.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
Whether you might pull off wearing these in public without being viciously mocked is another matter.
I guess red isn’t my color.
The nose pad material is soft, and I was able to wear them for extended periods without issue.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
Unlike somepersonal cinema displays like the Goovis G3 Max, the Xreal Air 2 doesnt have a diopter adjustment.
A personal cinema display will only let you adjust to see the screen directly in front of you.
If you oughta wear glasses, youll have to purchase some prescription lenses for around $100.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
Visually, though, the screen and displays were functional.
That means it needs to be connected using the USB-C cable so you can do anything.
But it’s important to understand exactly what it isand isn’t.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
The Xreal Beam is not a standalone media player by any definition.
But the Beam does offer two important features.
For a start, the Beam is a power source for the glasses.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
Without that, youll need an input source that also supplies power over the USB-C connection.
Confusingly, there are two USB-C ports on the bottom of the gear.
One charges the Beam, and the other connects to the Xreal Air 2 glasses.
I didn’t find any of the three AR modes to be particularly useful.
It’s not like you’ve got the option to have multiple displays and surround yourself with them.
Sideview was too small to be useful; youd need a heads-up-display interface specifically designed for this.
James Bruce / MakeUseOf
I can confidently say I looked almost 52% less zombie-like while walking down the street in this way.
No more getting run over by cars because you’re not looking where you’re going!
Unfortunately, if your plans on an iPhone involve opening YouTube, you might want to think again.
As soon as I opened the app, it defaulted to playing the first video on the homepage.
Picking up my iPhone to choose another video booted the Xreal Beam back to its home screen.
So think of it as a lottery, and perhaps youll enjoy the random video it shows you.
Another problem revealed itself at this point: it was far too quiet, even at full volume.
I tried two devices: an olderUlefone 18Tand a newerTecno Phantom V foldable.
Then it appeared in the list and all worked well, albeit with a noticeable amount of lag.
Overall, my experience casting wirelessly from any smartphone was quite underwhelming.
By which I mean it didn’t really work or offered a substandard experience.
The broader issue is that using wireless casting for your general phone user interface feels like a non-starter.
The first is to use a direct USB-C connection straight into the Xreal Air 2 glasses.
This is only possible if your unit supports Alt-DP mode and supplies power.
I tried a SteamDeck, which worked fantastically for this.
The Nintendo Switch doesnt, and needs to be docked with an HDMI adapter.
The display will be locked in the center, and full size.
The other wired option is to use the Xreal Beam as an intermediary.
Unfortunately, none of the ones I own are supported.
A Windows version is in the works but not available at the time of writing.
Should You Buy the Xreal Air 2?
My experience with casting wirelessly from a smartphone using the Beam was largely a disaster.
Either way, you’ll still need your phone in your hand to control it.
In theory, the Xreal Air 2 would be great for a portable cinema experience.
The output is greatbut what exactly do you want to put in?
