The Xreal (formerly Nreal) Light and Xreal Air are both augmented reality provide a mixed reality experience where AR content is layered on top of the real world, allowing for some level of interaction. And if s prefer not to be distracted by their surroundings, there is a lens cover that completely blocks out the light for a VR experience. The Xreal Light and Xreal Air are cheaper alternatives to other AR glasses such as the Magic Leap 2.
The Nreal brand was rebranded as Xreal in May 2023, but its product portfolio remains the same. The Xreal Light and Xreal Air both look like sunglasses, but there are some differences in their design. The Xreal Light is smaller and is suitable for those with a head width between 135 - 173mm. It has two front-facing cameras for spatial tracking. On the other hand, the Xreal Air is larger and best suits s with a head width between 120 - 186mm. Despite being larger, it doesn't have cameras, but comes with a detachable cable. Xreal offers both the Light and Air in black.
Xreal Air Vs. Xreal Light: Display & Casting
The AR glasses have two micro-OLED displays (one for each eye) with a resolution of 3,840 × 1,080 pixels. The Xreal Light's display offers 280 nits of brightness, a 52-degree field of view, and can project a virtual screen up to 115-inches in Air Casting mode or up to 220-inches in Mixed Reality/AR Space mode. In contrast, the Xreal Air's display brightness goes up to 400 nits, but it has a smaller 46-degree field of view. It can also project a virtual screen of up to 130-inches in Air Casting mode and up to 201-inches in Mixed Reality/AR Space mode.
Thanks to its front-facing cameras, the Xreal Light is capable of hand tracking, image tracking, and plane detection. It also has 6DoF head tracking, while the Xreal Air has 3DoF head tracking. The software experience on both AR glasses is a bit different. s can use the devices in two modes — Air Casting Mode and Mixed Reality Mode.
The former allows s to mirror their smartphone's display when connected to a compatible smartphone. In the case of the Xreal Light, only Android smartphones are ed, while the Xreal Air adds for iOS devices. However, owners will need to purchase the Xreal Air Adapter and the Apple Lightning Digital AV Adapter if they don't have one. In addition, s can also connect the Xreal Air to a Nintendo Switch using the Air Adapter and an HDMI connector. Both AR glasses can also be connected to laptops with a DisplayPort.
In Mixed Reality mode, s have access to AR apps and webpages that they can pin in a 3D space. For this mode, s need the Nebula companion app, which is available on Android and works with select devices. A beta version of the app is also available for Mac and allows s to use up to three virtual monitors. The Nebula app provides a custom interface more suited to the device. s are not limited to mirroring their device's display and can run multiple floating windows. Xreal has a list of ed devices, and it adds that unlisted devices may work if they have a USB-C port, run Android 9 or later, have DisplayPort , and have a Snapdragon 845 chip or newer.
Xreal Air Vs. Xreal Light: Audio, Battery, & Price
The two glasses have integrated speakers built into the temples and dual omnidirectional microphones. In addition, Xreal Air has echo cancelation, noise cancelation and speech enhancement. There are also a bunch of sensors, including an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer and proximity sensor, but only the Xreal Light has an ambient light sensor. Neither device has a built-in battery, but Xreal says that when connected to a phone with a 4,000mAh battery, s should get up to 2.5 hours of video streaming in Air Casting Mode on the Light, while the Air will provide double that.
The Xreal Light, exclusive to Verizon, is the more expensive of the two at $599 due to its additional features, such as better tracking. On the other hand, the Xreal Air is priced at $379 and is available on Xreal's website and Amazon. The Xreal Air will suffice for anyone who wants a pair of AR glasses that can do the basics and don't cost a fortune.
Can You Use The Xreal Air & Light With Prescription Glasses?
Both the Xreal Air and Xreal Light work with prescription glasses. The Xreal Light comes with an insert in the package which can be used to make custom prescription glasses at a local optical store. The Xreal Air provides two options for prescription glasses. s can either use the insert to get custom prescription glasses like the Xreal Light, or purchase the AR Glasses from Xreal's partners – Lensology and Rochester Optical.
The Xreal Air has been awarded Low Blue Light, Flicker Free, and Eye Comfort certifications by the TUV Rheinland group, making for a more comfortable viewing experience that results in less eye strain. Additionally, Xreal recommends that s adjust the viewing angle by trying different nose pad sizes to find the most comfortable fit.