The Xreal Air 2 Ultra glasses are a brand new spatial computing framework designed specifically for augmented reality (AR) developers.
The Xreal Air 2 Ultra AR glasses, formerly known as Nreal, will be unveiled at CES 2024 as an affordable alternative to the highly anticipated Apple Vision Pro. Following on from the Nreal Light in 2019, the all-new Xreal Air 2 Ultra bring back support for 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) spatial tracking and hand tracking, along with a wider 52-degree and 42 pixels per degree of sharpness inside an 80-gram.
The company says these specs make the $699 a compelling alternative to the $3,499 Vision Pro.
See also: Apple Vision Pro: Will it be released in February 2024?
Unlike mixed reality headsets, the Air 2 series of glasses must be powered by an external computing device, such as a smartphone, computer, or Xreal's Beam module, via USB-C. While the previous Air 2 Pro and Air 2 were more focused on the wearable look, the Air 2 Ultra focuses on 6DoF spatial computing capabilities, meaning virtual objects can be mapped onto the real world as you walk around.
This is achieved with dual 3D ambient sensors on the front, as well as Qualcomm Snapdragon processors in the Samsung Galaxy S23 or S22, iPhone 15, or any Mac or Windows computer that can run Xreal’s Nebula emulator. If you already have an Xreal Beam, you can also connect the Air 2 Ultra for a 3DoF experience with video playback or console gaming. Oddly enough, the company doesn’t plan to support more smartphones for now, but it is preparing a new custom computing unit to accompany the Air 2 Ultra at some point.
See also: Steam Link can now wirelessly stream VR games to Meta Quest
Like the Pro, the Air 2 Ultra supports three levels of electrochromic dimming for the best user experience and immersion (without the need for a physical shield), as well as audio directional technology for improved privacy and dual microphones for voice interaction. You'll find the same old Sony micro OLED panels with 1080p resolution per eye, a refresh rate of up to 120Hz (90Hz in 3D mode), and brightness of up to 500 nits (250 nits in 3D mode).
Xreal added that these glasses can project a virtual 2D screen “at an equivalent distance of 154 inches from a distance of 13 feet” and that they are “certified by TÜV Rheinland for Color Accuracy, Visual Comfort, Low Blue Light, and Flicker-Free Use.”
The $699 Xreal Air 2 Ultra is available for pre-order now , and if you bought an Nreal Light recently, you're in the running for a $100 discount . That's still not as aggressive as the $500 base price of the Meta Quest 3 , but the Air 2 Ultra is aimed primarily at developers for now. For example, Xreal's upcoming Unity-based NRSDK 2.2 won't be available until these glasses start shipping in March. Only then will developers be able to take advantage of improved hand tracking, hand gesture recognition, spatial spines, depth meshing, and more. This means that Xreal will need to win over as many developers as possible to build out the mixed reality ecosystem before it can gain the attention of consumers, if not businesses – something that is true for HTC , which announced it is sending VR headset to the International Space Station in November its .
Source: engadget
