XREAL 1S Evaluation: Specs, Weight, Price, and How It Compares to the XREAL One Leave a comment

The XREAL 1S is XREAL’s newest pair of AR glasses, designed to ship a plug-in spatial show expertise by way of light-weight, sunglasses-style {hardware}. Rather than working as a standalone headset, it connects to telephones, PCs, consoles, and handheld gaming gadgets to mirror or prolong a show straight in entrance of your eyes.

In XREAL’s lineup, the 1S sits beneath the flagship One and One Pro fashions, alongside the Air 2 sequence, and above accessory-only merchandise like the Beam Pro hub. It will not be positioned as a full spatial-computing or “true AR” gadget with onboard processing. Instead, it focuses on doing one factor effectively: performing as a transportable, immersive digital display screen for video leisure and gaming.

In quick, the XREAL 1S is greatest understood as a digital show you put on, not a headset that meaningfully augments the bodily world round you.

Ubergizmo co-founder Hubert Nguyen makes use of the XREAL One day by day and has contributed to this text by sharing his expertise of that gadget. We each have been uncovered to the sort of know-how for the previous 20 years.

XREAL 1S weight and consolation

At 84 grams, the XREAL 1S is clearly heavier than common eyeglasses, however weight distribution is dealt with effectively. Thanks to adjustable nostril pads and balanced arms, stress on the nostril stays gentle, and I discovered the glasses comfy for prolonged periods starting from 45 minutes to a number of hours.

In my case, there have been no apparent stress factors, and consolation was adequate that I even fell asleep with the glasses on a number of instances. There is a few warmth buildup close to the high of the body, but it surely stays gentle (96F) and doesn’t contact the pores and skin, so it by no means turns into uncomfortable throughout use.

Compared to the earlier technology, the general bodily expertise may be very related. Any design or weight adjustments are sufficiently subtle that they aren’t apparent in day by day use. If you have been comfy sporting earlier XREAL glasses (of comparable weight), the 1S will really feel instantly acquainted. Comfort right here will not be a differentiator, however it’s strong and dependable, which issues for a tool meant to be worn for lengthy video or gaming periods.

XREAL 1S specs and key options

Specifications	XREAL 1S
Resolution	1920 × 1200 (1200p, 16:10)
Refresh Rate	Up to 120Hz
Field of View	52°
Peak Brightness	Up to 700 nits
Color Accuracy	ΔE < 3
Motion-to-Photon Latency	~3 ms
Spatial Tracking	Native 3DoF (6DoF with XREAL Eye accent)
Screen Modes	Follow Mode (0DoF), Anchor Mode (3DoF), Ultrawide, Side View
2D-to-3D Conversion	Real-time native 2D → 3D (no apps required)
Audio	Built-in audio system, tuned by Bose
Weight	~82 g
Lens Technology	Electrochromic dimming (guide + auto)
Connectivity	USB-C (DisplayPort Alt Mode)
Device Compatibility	Phones, PCs, consoles, handhelds
Prescription Lens Support	Yes (by way of official companions)
Launch Price (USD)	$449
Release Window	January 2026

Display and Visual Experience

Smart glasses have been evolving for many years, and the progress has been spectacular, however it is vital to perceive what this know-how is making an attempt to obtain. The XREAL 1S creates the notion of a large show utilizing {hardware} that matches in your pocket. That is a powerful feat, however it’s not the identical as taking a look at an actual, bodily giant display screen together with your naked eyes.

With that context in thoughts, the XREAL 1S delivers a noticeable enchancment in visible high quality over the earlier technology, thanks to its 1200p decision. The decision improve interprets right into a sharper picture that almost all customers will instantly understand when upgrading from older fashions. From a subjective standpoint, the expertise feels related to watching an excellent, giant, 1080p tv.

feels related to watching an excellent, giant, 1080p tv

When shifting your head shortly from facet to facet, the picture can blur barely whereas in movement. This seems to be a byproduct of the system compensating between “Follow” mode, the place the picture stays centered in your view, and “Anchor” mode, the place the picture is mounted in digital house. In follow, that is hardly ever a problem, as typical use doesn’t contain fast head actions.

The show favors immersion over absolute readability. For motion pictures and video content material, this works extraordinarily effectively. On a aircraft, the expertise is far superior to any built-in seatback display screen, together with these in enterprise class. The open-ear audio system, nevertheless, should not highly effective sufficient in noisy environments like flights, so pairing the glasses with Bluetooth earbuds or headphones is really helpful.

I usually use the 173-inch display screen setting at a five-meter digital distance and deliberately go away some darkish house round the picture. Filling the total discipline of view might sound interesting, however backing off barely offers a greater steadiness between readability and immersion.

…far superior to any built-in seatback display screen, together with these in enterprise class

For textual content and productiveness, limitations grow to be extra obvious. At 1920×1200 with 100% scaling in Windows, textual content is simply legible however tiring to learn for lengthy durations. Increasing scaling to 125 or 150 % improves consolation, making mild studying doable for one to two hours, however I’d not use the XREAL 1S for demanding duties like coding. That form of work would require a strong digital multi-monitor setup, and XREAL not seems to be pursuing that path on desktop platforms. For journey work, I nonetheless depend on a transportable monitor as a substitute.

Hubert identified that he has presbyopia, which impacts near-field imaginative and prescient, however as a result of the focus of the show is about at about 5 meters, he doesn’t want corrective glasses to watch motion pictures comfortably.

I didn’t discover significant picture distortion or colour points round the edges, even when mendacity on my facet and barely misaligning the glasses. This suggests comparatively low sensitivity to IPD (interpupillary distance) for normal 2D content material, although particular person face shapes will naturally have an effect on outcomes. Like most optical techniques, readability is greatest at the middle of the picture, and I did discover slight softness in the lower-right nook when studying textual content. This doesn’t matter for video.

Brightness is ample even outside on a sunny day with the lenses set to their most clear mode. Indoors or on a aircraft, I often darken the lenses as a lot as doable. I’m not satisfied excessive brightness ranges are obligatory right here, as consolation issues greater than uncooked luminance.

In each “Follow” and “Anchor” modes, head motion feels pure, and I skilled no movement illness or discomfort. For video, I choose Follow mode. Anchor mode could be extra compelling if digital multi-monitor setups have been supported.

Manufacturer-Pitched Use Cases

XREAL positions the 1S as a way of life gadget, emphasizing watching TV, taking part in video games, and having fun with content material on the go. This framing is acceptable. The thought of getting a big digital display screen wherever, particularly when you don’t personal a big tv or are touring, is compelling.

Travel is a use case I like to recommend as well as to the above, offered you’re keen to carry the glasses. I don’t use the unique carrying case, which is pretty giant, and as a substitute depend on an ordinary glasses case for comfort.

Real-World Use: What Actually Works

In follow, video consumption, gaming and journey are the place the XREAL 1S feels most pure. Watching motion pictures or exhibits, whether or not at residence or on the street, is the gadget’s strongest use case. It will not be designed to change a piece monitor, and it shouldn’t be evaluated as such.

I usually used the glasses for periods lasting round two hours. There is a few eye pressure merely from sporting a show in your face, which is inherently much less pure than taking a look at a distant display screen, however I discovered it manageable and not a barrier to day by day use for leisure.

Gaming is extra nuanced. Depending on the style, the XREAL 1S might be a superb different to a transportable monitor. Some video games profit tremendously from immersion, particularly these targeted on exploration or cinematic presentation. Others, comparable to real-time technique video games, really feel higher on a conventional monitor the place precision and peripheral consciousness matter extra.

I by no means felt the want to use headphones

Audio high quality is nice for informal use. At residence, dialogue is obvious, and I by no means felt the want to use headphones. The open-ear design is a part of the enchantment, permitting you to keep conscious of your environment. For concert events or music-focused content material, devoted headphones nonetheless ship higher immersion, however the choice is at all times there.

Gaming assessments included smartphone use and a Lenovo Legion Go handheld gaming PC. On the Legion Go, video games want to be run in non-exclusive mode for display screen mirroring to work correctly. In each instances, immersion was glorious. Gameplay felt clean at 60 Hz, and whereas I didn’t constantly hit 120 Hz in my assessments, there have been no apparent latency points that may detract from informal gaming.

Overall, XREAL is setting expectations appropriately by pitching the 1S as an leisure and way of life gadget, not an expert productiveness software.

Compatibility, Setup, and Ecosystem

Our XREAL 1S was examined with Android smartphones, an iPad mini 6, an Amazon Fire TV Stick, and the Lenovo Legion Go transportable gaming PC. Setup is mostly simple. The glasses behave like an exterior monitor, and most customers will solely want to find out how to navigate the onboard menu, related to organising a brand new TV.

Adapters are typically required. Using the Fire TV Stick required an HDMI-to-USB-C adapter that generated noticeable warmth. Power draw from a smartphone measured between 2.2 and 2.5 watts throughout video playback.

This does drain the cellphone sooner however not a blocker for significant use. It continues to be doable to watch a number of hours of content material. For prolonged periods, I recharge my cellphone each three to 4 hours or use USB-C splitters that permit charging and show output concurrently, like this XREAL accent.

XREAL considered this, and you would additionally buy the XREAL Neo, a ten,000 mAh. It capabilities as a DisplayPort pass-through hub whereas delivering up to 20 W on battery, which is sufficient to preserve or slowly recharge a cellphone, handheld console, or PC throughout use.

No app or software program is required for primary operation, which makes the expertise really plug and play. Firmware updates are simple to apply by way of a pc, and previous XREAL merchandise have obtained a number of updates post-launch, together with main function enhancements.

XREAL 1S vs XREAL One

The visible high quality enchancment is noticeable, however not transformative. It will not be sufficient to justify an improve if you happen to already personal final yr’s mannequin, particularly in case you are happy with it.

There are many small refinements, together with interface enhancements, however the general expertise and market positioning stay largely unchanged. One ongoing frustration is audio mode dealing with with my Fire TV. Automatically switching and remembering audio settings would considerably enhance usability for that use case..

Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Not

The XREAL 1S is greatest suited to video fans and players who worth immersion and portability. It works effectively as a digital TV or show substitute for leisure, particularly throughout journey.

If you already personal the earlier technology, there’s little cause to improve. The enhancements are actual however incremental.

If you’re in search of a piece monitor substitute, or anticipate a full AR or VR expertise with spatial interplay, this isn’t the proper product.

Conclusion and XREAL 1S value

The XREAL 1S, priced at $449 at publication time, is a wonderful transportable digital show for video leisure and gaming. It shines throughout journey and informal residence use, delivering a convincing large-screen expertise in a particularly compact type issue. It will not be designed for productiveness, and it shouldn’t be judged as a conventional AR or VR headset. If you perceive its position and limitations, the XREAL 1S delivers precisely what it guarantees.

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