XREAL 1S Overview: Specs, Weight, Worth, and How It Compares to the XREAL One

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

In XREAL’s lineup, the 1S sits under the flagship One and One Professional fashions, alongside the Air 2 sequence, and above accessory-only merchandise just like the Beam Professional hub. It isn’t positioned as a full spatial-computing or “true AR” system with onboard processing. As an alternative, it focuses on doing one factor properly: appearing as a transportable, immersive digital display screen for video leisure and gaming.

In brief, the XREAL 1S is finest 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 each day and has contributed to this text by sharing his expertise of that system. We each have been uncovered to such a expertise for the previous 20 years.

XREAL 1S weight and luxury

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

In my case, there have been no apparent stress factors, and luxury was ok that I even fell asleep with the glasses on a number of instances. There’s some warmth buildup close to the highest of the body, nevertheless it stays delicate (96F) and doesn’t contact the pores and skin, so it by no means turns into uncomfortable throughout use.

In comparison with the earlier technology, the general bodily expertise could be very related. Any design or weight modifications are sufficiently subtle that they aren’t apparent in each day use. For those who had been snug sporting earlier XREAL glasses (of comparable weight), the 1S will really feel instantly acquainted. Consolation right here just isn’t a differentiator, however it’s stable and dependable, which issues for a tool meant to be worn for lengthy video or gaming classes.

XREAL 1S specs and key options

Show and Visible Expertise

Good glasses have been evolving for many years, and the progress has been spectacular, however you will need to perceive what this expertise is attempting to attain. The XREAL 1S creates the notion of a large show utilizing {hardware} that matches in your pocket. That’s a powerful feat, however it isn’t the identical as taking a look at an actual, bodily giant display screen along with your naked eyes.

With that context in thoughts, the XREAL 1S delivers a noticeable enchancment in visible high quality over the earlier technology, because of its 1200p decision. The decision improve interprets right into a sharper picture that the majority customers will instantly understand when upgrading from older fashions. From a subjective standpoint, the expertise feels much like watching a very good, giant, 1080p tv.

When transferring your head rapidly back and forth, the picture can blur barely whereas in movement. This seems to be a byproduct of the system compensating between “Comply with” mode, the place the picture stays centered in your view, and “Anchor” mode, the place the picture is fastened in digital area. In apply, that is hardly ever a problem, as typical use doesn’t contain speedy head actions.

The show favors immersion over absolute readability. For motion pictures and video content material, this works extraordinarily properly. 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, nonetheless, will not be highly effective sufficient in noisy environments like flights, so pairing the glasses with Bluetooth earbuds or headphones is beneficial.

I sometimes use the 173-inch display screen setting at a five-meter digital distance and deliberately go away some darkish area across the picture. Filling your complete subject of view might sound interesting, however backing off barely gives a greater steadiness between readability and immersion.

For textual content and productiveness, limitations grow to be extra obvious. At 1920×1200 with one hundred pc scaling in Home windows, textual content is simply legible however tiring to learn for lengthy durations. Rising scaling to 125 or 150 % improves consolation, making mild studying potential for one to 2 hours, however I might not use the XREAL 1S for demanding duties like coding. That sort of work would require a strong digital multi-monitor setup, and XREAL now not seems to be pursuing that path on desktop platforms. For journey work, I nonetheless depend on a transportable monitor as an alternative.

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

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

Brightness is enough even open air on a sunny day with the lenses set to their most clear mode. Indoors or on a aircraft, I normally darken the lenses as a lot as potential. I’m not satisfied excessive brightness ranges are essential right here, as consolation issues greater than uncooked luminance.

In each “Comply with” and “Anchor” modes, head motion feels pure, and I skilled no movement illness or discomfort. For video, I favor Comply with mode. Anchor mode can be extra compelling if digital multi-monitor setups had been supported.

Producer-Pitched Use Circumstances

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

Journey is a use case I like to recommend along with the above, supplied you’re prepared to hold the glasses. I don’t use the unique carrying case, which is pretty giant, and as an alternative depend on a normal glasses case for comfort.

Actual-World Use: What Truly Works

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

I usually used the glasses for classes lasting round two hours. There’s some 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 never a barrier to each day use for leisure.

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

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

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

General, XREAL is setting expectations appropriately by pitching the 1S as an leisure and way of life system, not an expert productiveness device.

Compatibility, Setup, and Ecosystem

Our XREAL 1S was examined with Android smartphones, an iPad mini 6, an Amazon Fireplace TV Stick, and the Lenovo Legion Go transportable gaming PC. Setup is mostly easy. The glasses behave like an exterior monitor, and most customers will solely have to discover ways to navigate the onboard menu, much like establishing a brand new TV.

Adapters are typically required. Utilizing the Fireplace TV Stick required an HDMI-to-USB-C adapter that generated noticeable warmth. Energy draw from a smartphone measured between 2.2 and a pair of.5 watts throughout video playback.

This does drain the telephone quicker however not a blocker for significant use. It’s nonetheless potential to look at a number of hours of content material. For prolonged classes, I recharge my telephone each three to 4 hours or use USB-C splitters that enable charging and show output concurrently, like this XREAL accessory.

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

No app or software program is required for fundamental operation, which makes the expertise actually plug and play. Firmware updates are straightforward to use by way of a pc, and previous XREAL merchandise have acquired a number of updates post-launch, together with main characteristic enhancements.

XREAL 1S vs XREAL One

The visible high quality enchancment is noticeable, however not transformative. It isn’t sufficient to justify an improve in case you already personal final 12 months’s mannequin, particularly if you’re glad with it.

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

Who Ought to Purchase It, and Who Ought to Not

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

For those who already personal the earlier technology, there’s little purpose to improve. The enhancements are actual however incremental.

If you’re searching for a piece monitor alternative, or count on a full AR or VR expertise with spatial interplay, this isn’t the correct product.

Conclusion and XREAL 1S worth

The XREAL 1S, priced at $449 at publication time, is a superb transportable digital show for video leisure and gaming. It shines throughout journey and informal residence use, delivering a convincing large-screen expertise in an especially compact kind issue. It isn’t designed for productiveness, and it shouldn’t be judged as a standard AR or VR headset. For those who perceive its function and limitations, the XREAL 1S delivers precisely what it guarantees.

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