AR glasses have been getting increasingly popular over the last few years. XREAL’s latest glasses, the xbx a01+, are XREAL’s most affordable option yet, aimed at those looking to wade into the waters of AR glasses. While they are priced at a lower tier, the quality here is anything but. The xbx a01+ are fantastic, especially at their price point. They’re incredibly bright, plug-and-play friendly, and are super lightweight. Even if there are some issues, including getting a bit warm when gaming, those looking to get their first pair of AR glasses should look no further.
The xbx a01+ by XREAL come with plenty of features. They pack a custom Pixelworks display chip, which packs some AI-enhancing features that generally work decently. The main draw of the new chipset is the new Real-Time AI SDR-to-HDR feature, promising to upscale regular SDR content to something closer to HDR in terms of colour and contrast. In practice, this works decently well, depending on the use case. Some videos and games looked too dark without much way of adjusting it, while others looked bright and vivid, clearly nailing what XREAL set out to do. The xbx a01+ by XREAL AR glasses also feature native HDR10 support, taking advantage of games and videos that support it.
One of the best features of the xbx a01+ by XREAL AR glasses is the display, coming in at 1600 nits peak brightness with 1.07 billion colours and multiple colour modes. The display is incredibly bright, in a good way, where colours and definition are clear and loud. The buttons on the side of the glasses can increase or decrease brightness, but I had no trouble using them in the dark of my bedroom to midday outside. They also include a 50-degree field of view.
All this puts an equivalent 147-inch screen size at about 4 meters in front of your face with a 120Hz refresh rate and dual-layer Micro-OLED displays. The screen looks amazing, bringing anything I put on it to life. From plugging in my Steam Deck to get a bigger screen on the go, to scrolling TikTok at the end of the day, the image quality never faltered or struggled. They also include multiple display modes, with Standard, Cinema, and Eye Comfort for those looking to filter out some blue light.
There’s a 3D mode as well for stereoscopic 3D videos, and it’s a mixed bag. When it works with the right videos, it can be a cool experience, but it never lives up to that full 3D effect. It adds a bit of depth to the background, and that’s basically it. A lot of videos don’t work properly, so you’ll have to do some digging if you’re really looking for 3D. It’s not the main reason I’d use these glasses anyway, but it’s there.
The xbx a01+ also weigh just 62g, dropping down to 56g if you take off the front frame. They’re light enough that they never pressed down on my ears or strained my face. They’re incredibly easy to wear for long sessions, with the one caveat being they can get quite warm. If you keep them as close to your face as you can, you’ll notice heat emanating from the center of the glasses. They never got uncomfortable, but it was noticeable.
When I was playing more visually loud games on my Steam Deck, I noticed the warmth after about 30 minutes of playing. They took longer to warm up when just watching something on YouTube. It’s less noticeable if you keep them farther away from your face, but that comes with finding a decent viewing angle.
“One of the best features of the xbx a01+ by XREAL AR glasses is the display, coming in at 1600 nits peak brightness with 1.07 billion colours and multiple colour modes.”
Thankfully, it was never that difficult to situate them on my face. I’ve used other pairs of glasses that required more effort to sit right, sometimes cutting off parts of the screen to get comfy. Not so with the xbx a01+, with multiple sets of nose guards included to help find a comfy fit that lets you see the whole screen. I do wear glasses, so even with the layer of my own prescription glasses, they fit comfortably, and I could see the whole screen.
Even with my glasses off, watching videos was easy thanks to how bright the display is. Reading text was more difficult, but there are prescription lenses available to purchase separately if needed. I have a pair of prescription lenses from another pair of AR glasses, and those fit a bit loose, but when using them, everything was crystal clear.
The xbx a01+ by XREAL AR glasses also look fantastic, and if I didn’t know any better, could easily pass off as regular sunglasses. I’m a big fan of chunkier frames with the blue lenses, capped off with the vibrant yellow cord. They’re lowkey without being too much, with the right pops of colour and style. They’re also incredibly comfortable, with the nose pieces feeling premium and soft.
The xbx a01+ worked beautifully across almost anything I used them with. They connect with a USB-C, meaning they’ll work with almost any modern phone or handheld PC. The Steam Deck worked great, even if managing the wattage was a concern. This isn’t unique to the xbx a01+, as the Steam Deck can falter with power draw, but using an adapter to keep power coming to the Deck alleviates these issues.
Similarly, plugging them into my computer as an extra screen was a treat. They can also work with the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, but you need an extra adapter to make them work. That’s because of how the USB-C in the Switch 2 functions, requiring an outside power source to deliver power to the glasses.
The only other nitpick I have with the xbx a01+ is the lack of a physical input for audio. The speakers on the xbx a01+ are fine. They output audio clearly, and it’s easy to use them without any headphones, with four options for audio output settings. Balanced has been my go-to, offering a good mix of equalizers that keep the sound loud enough without it being distracting. The issue arises when trying to adjust the volume, where you have to go into the actual settings on the glasses, requiring multiple button presses. Other XREAL glasses have an audio adjuster on the glasses themselves, so it’s an unfortunate extra step here.
Overall, the xbx a01+ by XREAL are great AR glasses at an even better price. While there are glasses that do more and offer more settings, those come at much higher price ranges. The xbx a01+ excel in affordability without a lot of compromise in their image quality or ease of use. They’re bright, are easy to wear thanks to how light they are, and look fantastic. Even if there are a few issues, mainly the heat and lack of physical audio buttons, the xbx a01+ are a great choice for those looking for their first, or a new, pair of AR glasses.
- YOUR PRIVATE 147” BIG SCREEN, ANYWHERE — Plug the a01+ into your phone, tablet, handheld, or laptop and a giant 147” screen appears in front of you—for movies, gaming, or getting work done on the couch, on a flight, or in bed. A true portable display you wear, in a soda-can-sized 210g case that drops in your pocket.
- ALWAYS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU — The screen follows your view with smooth, stabilized tracking and stays centered as you look around—nothing to anchor or set up, and no drift to reset. Press play and your big screen is simply there.
