XReal Xbx a01+ Review: Affordable AR Glasses Bring A Portable Theater To The Masses

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

It would not be hyperbole to say that XReal glasses have been an absolute game changer for me. I travel a lot for work, and travel (in-car, in-airplane, or otherwise) also tends to be downtime. Spending hours in a small seat, designed for people much smaller than my 270-pound frame, means that I often cannot spend that time doing anything productive, which is to say, I can't just pop open a laptop and do some writing while flying across the Atlantic Ocean.

When I got my first pair of XReal glasses, everything changed. Suddenly I could plug in a pair of glasses and get a gigantic screen anywhere I was. My first instinct — and I think many people's first instinct — was to watch movies and consume content on this large screen that could hover in the air before my eyes. But then, I plugged the glasses into a Samsung phone, flipped on DeX and I had a full desktop experience in the space a can of soda takes up in my bag. I added a Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad and it was time to go to work.

X by XReal, and more specifically the "xbx a01+ glasses" are the company's attempt at making this idea more accessible to more people, but it does so with something of a compromise. I've been using the a01+ for about two months and this is my full review.

XReal glasses, including xbx are basically external displays that you connect to a device that supports output to an external display. Anything you can plug an external monitor into; you can plug these glasses into. From there, a virtual display hangs in the air in front of you. For a lot of glasses, this can manifest in two different ways.

With glasses like these there are two possibilities. One option is you get a "screen" that moves with you — when you turn your head to the right, it moves to the right and so on. For more advanced systems, like the XReal 1S and even Meta Quest headsets, you can have a static image or screen and when you turn your head you just see different parts of the screen. I prefer this method and this naturally is the one that the X By XReal glasses leaves out.

The only option is the floating window. It's fine, but I frequently run into a situation where I have to constantly adjust them up or down on my nose to catch the very top or the very bottom of the screen. I have gotten used to it, but I much prefer the XReal 1S because of that second option.

X By XReal comes with two different kinds of lenses. The first is an immersive, mostly blacked out lens that looks very much like you're blind and you should be walking with a long white cane. The second is more of a sunglasses type of look, and that is the one I used the most. The sunglasses look is better, but the lenses sit so far out in front of your face that there is no mystery that you might be just a dude wearing sunglasses. They look a little off.

The arms are normal sunglass arms with "x by x" printed on one of the arms. The other arm has a button and a rocker switch on it. The button switches modes for the screen — normal, eye care, and cinema. The rocker switch controls the brightness of the screen. That's it when it comes to controls.

The last pieces of the puzzle are the neon yellow cable and the case for the glasses. The former is a USB-C to USB-C cable with one end slightly canted down that connects to the end of the arm on the glasses. The other end plugs into your device. The case, meanwhile, is just large enough to accommodate the cable and the glasses. The outside is covered in a fabric with silicone "xbx" on the outside. It's a fun package.

The a01+ glasses give you a 147-inch-equivalent screen that moves with you and the weigh just 62 grams (0.14 pounds, basically the weight of a tennis ball). I have worn these glasses for hours on flights and I haven't even noticed then, except to adjust them as I mentioned earlier. The display can get up to 1,600 nits of brightness. I was able to use these glasses outside with no problem at all.

The nose pieces are very comfortable and supported by a single wire, so they're very adjustment-friendly. The earpieces can also move up and down to change the angle at which you're viewing the AR screen. This is helpful for finding the right fit so you can see the entire screen and so it's level in your field of view.

The glasses can accommodate a prescription with an insert. I started off using it, but my prescription is so minor, I actually didn't need it. Your mileage may vary. It's also important to remember that these glasses do not have a battery — they are powered over USB-C, which means whatever device you're connected to will drain faster than if you were just using the device. Bear that in mind, especially for longer flights.

The glasses also have open back speakers built in, so you might want to connect headphones or earbuds to whatever device you've connected to the glasses, especially if you're using them on an airplane — engine noise and all that. The speakers are pretty good, but a bit tinny, so you won't use them to listen to the Backstreet Boys or whatever music people listen to these days.

One of the biggest hurdles to get over with glasses like these is the price. That's what XReal is trying to address with these, their latest in a line of AR glasses. They retail for just $299, which is not nothing, but it's better than most other offerings you can find. A price of $299 makes them the cheapest you'll find in this category. I really like that part of it. They are not cheap, but they are accessible for those who are looking to get into this space. You can buy these at XReal's website, in the XReal store on Amazon, or Best Buy.

The bottom line here is, if you're a frequent traveler, or if you have long commutes, or if you simply want to enjoy a 147-inch screen and you don't have the space for one in your home, these can be a solid investment. They can fundamentally change the way you consume and create content.