A lot of tech comes across my desk in this line of work, but there are two things in particular that stand out from recent years as being the best. That’s because they’ve genuinely changed things for me.
The first is the Steam Deck, and the second is the XREAL Air 2 Pro AR glasses. The two work together perfectly, but in the case of the latter, you can currently get a pair of XREAL Air 2 Pro glasses of your own for just $359 as part of October’s Prime Day. Now’s definitely the time to get on board.
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A convenient accessory that has genuinely made a difference in my life
I appreciate VR, but I have no desire to wear a clunky headset for long periods. That’s where glasses really come into their own, and the XREAL Air 2 Pro is a prime example. To wear, they’re no different to putting on a regular pair of glasses, or sunglasses. Sure, they’re a tad bulkier, but they don’t feel any worse on your face. I wear glasses most of the day anyway, and I mean it when I say the XREALs are no less comfortable than my regular specs.
Unlike my regular glasses, though, I can actually do things with these. Glasses wearers can get prescription inserts, though personally I haven’t felt the need to yet, but it’s an option, and they simply click into place. The displays inside are incredible, and when hooked up to a mobile device, a PC, or a gaming handheld, suddenly you have an enormous projection in front of you that follows the movements of your head.
The other reason I prefer these glasses over a VR headset is that I can see the actual real world in front of me. Not a digital version captured by cameras, but the actual real world. The XREAL Air 2 Pro has a groundbreaking electrochromatic dimming feature, which offers three levels of blackout for said real world. So when my kids are around, and I need to keep an eye on what they’re doing, I can have it wide open. If I’m watching a movie and want to relax, I can black out the lenses on the glasses to increase focus on the content. These glasses also work great outdoors, by dimming them on a bright day I can comfortably sit and be anti-social while enjoying a spot of Talladega Nights. Wearing these, you don’t look anything like as goofy as those people insistent on walking around outdoors in their Apple Vision Pro.
I could go on for hours about these things, I love them so much. One of the benefits of using them that can get lost in the noise is comfort. Comfort, with a display strapped to your face? Absolutely. If I use these with a laptop, or more so, my Steam Deck, I can sit in a more natural position with better posture. I’m not craning my neck looking at the device, I can just sit normally and look straight ahead. I don’t have to look at a keyboard to hit the keys I want after more than 25 years of typing on one, but I am so much more comfortable using the XREAL glasses. And the Steam Deck, it’s a no-brainer. Not only does it offer the same posture and comfort benefits, but it makes the display larger. I’m getting old, this sort of thing matters!
Connected to a PC, the XREAL glasses are seen as an external display like any monitor, so you can mirror or extend your desktop. I use mine as an additional, as you can still clearly see below the displays and look at the actual PC display. It takes a little while to get comfortable, but in my tiny office I now have three displays to use every day, with one being the glasses. I’ll often put my text editor in the glasses for writing with, leaving my two physical displays filled with the glanceable information I need during the course of a day.
Add the XREAL Beam for added functionality
The glasses on their own are superb, but for added functionality you can hook them up to the XREAL Beam or Beam Pro. The former is a little puck with basic controls and limited app support, but it does come ready to go with Netflix, Prime Video, and VLC. You can sideload apps to it, though, since it’s just Android, but not everything will work as you hope.
This isn’t true of the Beam Pro, which looks like an Android phone but isn’t one. It does have the Google Play Store, though, so adding services not found on the regular Beam is as easy as downloading an app. Even if you don’t want the fancy 3D cameras on the back, if you have the budget, it’s certainly better than using your every day smartphone since you won’t be draining the battery of the thing you need to communicate with the world.
For consuming content, the regular Beam is fine, and it’s also discounted right now to just $99 as part of Prime Day. Besides allowing you to go phone or laptop free just to watch the new season of Outer Banks, it also allows you to change up how the display in front of you behaves. My favorite is making it smaller and off to one side, so I can still enjoy my content while I’m doing mundane tasks around the house. The speakers on the glasses are loud enough for personal use, while not being heard by people around you. I’ve used them on a packed train and still been able to hear everything perfectly clearly.
The Beam isn’t essential, but if you can stretch to it, you will certainly find it a useful addon. I take my XREAL Air 2 Pro and Beam everywhere with me, and it’s truly my favorite thing in years. Whether using the glasses at home, or on a trip, it’s such a joyous thing to have my own little world right there in front of my eyes.
Why buy from Amazon?
XREAL is still fairly limited on the places you can officially buy its products. The company is in the process of expanding its availability around the world, but currently in the U.S. you’ll either have to go direct to the company’s store or use Amazon.
The glasses are reduced on the XREAL Store as well, but at the time of writing only to $399, but there are certainly benefits to using Amazon. With Prime, you get fast free shipping, and more importantly, an easy to use return policy. If you’re not happy with your product, Amazon will happily take it back with no fuss. Returning direct to source may not be as straightforward.
