The idea of being able to carry with you a screen of colossal size, hidden behind a pair of darkened lenses, represents one of the most complex challenges faced by hardware manufacturers in recent years.
The result of the collaboration between a prominent gaming hardware company and one of the leading players in the smart glasses market has led to the creation of ASUS ROG Xreal R1.
The glasses’ base function is to replicate or extend the screen of a smartphone, a console or a PC, but they also offer features that challenge traditional high-end monitors and some truly interesting “extra” functionalities.
With the integration of Micro-OLED panels capable of achieving impressive refresh rates and infinitesimally fast response times, the ASUS ROG Xreal R1 position themselves as an excellent solution for those who want to play on the go or comfortably from the sofa, without sacrificing privacy and top-notch specifications.
Normally we don’t talk about product boxes, especially since (particularly for smartphones) there isn’t much to tell about them. ASUS ROG XREAL R1’s packaging immediately reveals the premium and intricate nature of this device, offering a rich and complete accessory set.
The user is greeted by a black rigid case, adorned with the ROG logo engraved on the surface, designed to protect the glasses during transport. Inside the case, the AR glasses themselves find a home.
A fundamental element included in the box is the lenses insert for graduated lenses. Because of the prisms used to reflect the image of the displays into the user’s eyes, it is not possible to wear these AR glasses comfortably over a traditional pair of glasses.
Consequently, ASUS has included a metal frame with “sample” glass pieces that the user must take to their trusted optician to have custom corrective lenses made. This detail makes the product less immediate for those with vision defects, imposing an extra step before enjoying the glasses.
Moving to the lower compartment of the box, we find a selection of interchangeable nose pads. These plugs, provided in several sizes, are mounted on flexible metal stems.
From a technical standpoint, this customization freedom is not only about comfort: positioning the displays at the correct pupillary distance and at the right height relative to the eye is vital to properly perceive the field of view and prevent the image from going out of focus or showing edge distortions.
And here I want to make a note right away: although there is a function in the software to slightly adjust IPD, there is no real tutorial that instructs the user on what is the correct setting to search for for your face. You go by trial and error, and the differences are often so small that you are never sure of the result.
The included cables include a USB Type-C/USB Type-C cable, responsible for both video data transfer and powering the glasses, since these lack an internal battery to keep the weight down.
Completing the package is a microfiber cloth, essential for cleaning dust from the lenses and prisms.
In the center of the front, tucked away in a small, well-masked section, lies the sensor required for the 3DoF spatial tracking. This sensor reads the user’s head movements, processing the data directly on the glasses’ internal hardware without burdening the source device’s processor.
There is also an accessory port located between the nose pads, technically designed to accommodate a camera module produced by Xreal, which expands tracking to 6DoF.
The thick and prominent side arms house the physical controls and the rest of the hardware. On them you will find nine RGB LED lighting zones per side, which provide power-on feedback and offer the typical color customization associated with ROG gaming products.
Finally, the highlight of the extra accessories is the ROG Control Dock. This external hub, with the sharp lines typical of the Republic of Gamers design, acts as the bridge between the glasses and peripherals that do not support direct video output via USB-C. Lower down in the box, two USB Type-A/USB Type-C cables.
The dock is equipped with a range of ports: on the rear you will find a DisplayPort 1.4, two HDMI 2.0 ports for connecting to consoles and PC, a USB Type-C port dedicated solely to powering the dock, and a further USB Type-C port for power and data transfer.
On the front of the dock, the single USB Type-C port is where the glasses are physically connected.
Installation and configuration of the ASUS ROG Xreal R1 vary drastically depending on the source hardware you choose to use.
The quickest setup, definable as a true plug-and-play, is achieved by connecting the glasses directly to compatible portable devices via the USB-C cable.
In this scenario, using for example an ASUS ROG Ally, a Steam Deck, some high-end Android smartphones (I tested with Vivo X Fold6), a laptop or a Mac, the cable transfers the video signal using the USB-C DisplayPort (DP) standard and, at the same time, draws the energy needed to run the glasses.
The lack of a built-in battery forces the glasses to rely entirely on the connected source, with a declared power draw below 3 W. While this figure may seem negligible, the impact on the battery life of a handheld gaming device is fairly significant, especially when using the glasses at maximum resolution or refresh rate.
When using with a desktop PC or living-room consoles such as PlayStation and Xbox, the setup necessarily requires using the included dock.
The installation in this case becomes substantially more complex: you must connect the dock to a power outlet, connect the console or the PC’s video card using the ports on the back, and finally connect the glasses’ cable to the dock’s front port.
Despite the presence of the dock and the necessary connections, the ASUS ROG Xreal R1 prove totally incompatible with specific devices such as the Nintendo Switch 2, whether attempting a direct USB-C connection in handheld mode or via the dock. Likewise, the device does not support connection with PlayStation Portal (though in this case it makes more sense to connect the glasses directly to the PlayStation).
ROG and Xreal do not hide the product’s nature by passing it off as a traditional pair of sunglasses; instead, they fully embrace ASUS’s gaming brand visual identity, flaunting a distinctive, aggressive look with a cyberpunk-inspired vibe.
The frame of the lenses is made of high-quality plastic, featuring a matte finish.
The front portion of the frame must accommodate a substantial amount of hardware. Behind the dark outer lenses, in the upper part, lies a thick section about a couple of centimeters deep that houses the processor, prisms and display. This configuration is aimed at reducing bulk near the eyes compared to older and bulky “bird bath” designs.
This section, resting on the user’s forehead, tends to warm slightly during use, especially on hot days we’ve had in recent months.
At the center of the front, tucked into a small, well-camouflaged section, sits the sensor required for the 3DoF spatial tracking. This sensor reads the user’s head movements, processing the data directly on the glasses’ internal hardware without burdening the source device’s processor.
There is also a port for accessories located between the nose pads, technically designed to host a camera module produced by Xreal, which expands tracking to 6DoF.
The thick and protruding side arms contain the physical controls and the rest of the hardware. On them you’ll find nine RGB LED lighting zones per side, which provide power-on feedback and offer the typical color customization common to ROG gaming products.
Despite these measures, the device does still register. The pressure from the temple arms over the ears can become uncomfortable during medium-to-long usage sessions, as the spring mechanism tends to squeeze the head laterally in a constant manner.
The system uses two Sony-made Micro-OLED panels, each with a diagonal of only 0.55″. In this microscopic space a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels per eye is condensed. When the panels are reflected through the prisms, they generate a field of view (FOV) of 57°, capable of physically simulating a huge virtual screen.
Specifically, the software and lenses allow perceiving a virtual display with a maximum diagonal of 171″, placed as if at 4 m away from the user. The optics also allow wide adjustments: you can scale the perceived size from a minimum of 33″ up to a maximum of 267″, altering the virtual distance in a range between 1 and 10 m.
This focal distance management aims to reduce eye muscle fatigue, so the eyes don’t have to perform constant accommodation between the real environment and the virtual screen.
From a color and brightness standpoint, the displays push up to a peak of 700 nits, guaranteeing HDR10 compatibility. The color gamut coverage is excellent, reaching more than 100% of the sRGB space, delivering bright images and true blacks typical of OLED technology.
To ensure this brightness isn’t nullified by external ambient light, the glasses include electrochromic front lenses.
This chemico-electric technology allows, with a simple press of a button, to progressively darken the outer glass across three levels of transparency, reaching near-total black to isolate the user in the gaming environment.
But the true distinguishing feature of the ASUS ROG Xreal R1, and why they target gamers, lies in the specs related to motion fluidity. The panels support a native refresh rate of 120 Hz.
However, by enabling the Frame Rate Boost function, the eyewear electronics push the refresh rate to an astonishing 240 Hz, paired with a pixel response time of just 0.01 ms and a motion-to-photon latency calculated between 2 and 3 ms.
This guarantees zero flicker and exceptional responsiveness in fast-paced titles or high-speed racing games, where the clarity of moving images is crucial. It’s necessary to explain how the system achieves 240 Hz. To reach this rate, the eyewear’s electronics apply a drastic resolution scaling.
The native image is first vertically scaled to 1920 x 540 pixels, processed at 240 Hz, and then subjected to an upscaling process to bring it back to the final 1920 x 1080 pixels. This manipulation results in a noticeable deterioration of image quality: a significant loss of sharpness, the edges of images appear blurrier, and a jitter effect on text and static elements appears, causing some fatigue and discomfort.
The Follow Mode keeps the virtual display permanently centered in the visual field; move your head and the screen moves in sync with you. By contrast, the Anchor Mode fixes the virtual screen in a specific point in real three-dimensional space.
When you turn your head elsewhere, the screen exits the field of view, and the electrochromic lenses, thanks to the Auto Transparency feature, instantly brighten to reveal the surrounding environment, returning to dark only when your gaze points back to the virtual monitor.
Finally, the X1 chip processes the Instant 3D function, an algorithm capable of analyzing 2D content natively and converting it in real time to generate a convincingly well-made depth effect, albeit not perfect. There is also a function capable of handling 3D SBS (side-by-side) content by correctly sending only half of the input video to the corresponding eye.
If you’re used to a 1080p display, you won’t notice much difference when using these smart glasses. If, like me, you’ve been using higher-resolution displays for years (my Dell 24″ 4K secondary monitor turns 12 this year), the drop in sharpness compared to larger diagonals is quite evident.
In games the issue is minimal since you’re immersed in the action. While watching series and movies you won’t notice. But if you plan to use the glasses for work on a panel larger than your laptop, you’ll notice that texts and UI buttons are decidedly less sharp.
In some cases letters may even be less defined than on common Full HD displays, and honestly I’m not sure if this is due to the OLED matrix used in the Micro-OLED panels or simply because the pixel density on 171″ isn’t that high.
I know, a first world problem. Still, if you’re the type of user who spends almost €1,000 on this accessory, it’s very likely you have an excellent display on your desk and it’s worth noting.
To conclude, despite the ROG Xreal R1 having panels capable of covering a color space that is more than adequate, I must point out that they are not so accurate as to be relied upon for tasks requiring maximum precision.
Photo editing and color correction of videos are better done elsewhere, though I still used the 32:9 virtual display to crop and edit more than one video.
Although the focus is primarily on the displays, the audio section of the ASUS ROG Xreal R1 is notably important, supported by collaboration with the audio giant Bose. The glasses are equipped with two open-air speakers integrated directly into the thick side stems.
Strategically positioned just above the user’s ears, these drivers emit sound directed toward the outer ear without physically occluding the ear canal.
The miniaturized drivers manage to produce a surprisingly high output and a clarity that enhances immersion. Bose’s sound signature heavily emphasizes the low frequencies, delivering a full-bodied sound that is particularly satisfying during games with lots of effects, explosions or roaring engines, providing deep bass without introducing significant distortion in the mid and high frequencies.
Mi sarebbe piaciuto anche se questi occhiali riuscissero a fare qualcosa di più. Sono fondamentalmente un display da indossare, nulla di più e nulla di meno.
It is not possible to manage windows outside the rectangle bounded by regular monitors. They are not a true AR device, but only function as virtual displays. They have no apps, they do not integrate with the reality around you. They are not comparable to a Vision Pro, to Spectacles or to the Xreal Aura that will arrive in the coming months, these are different product categories.
The amount of technology packed into this product is impressive, but it inevitably reflects in its market positioning. The ASUS ROG XREAL R1s are marketed at a high list price, set at 849 euros (with fluctuations that exceed 1,000 euros at some retailers like Amazon).
The asking price places the device in a price range prohibitive for many, especially when compared with competing products. Models like the Viture Beast are offered at 699 euros boasting a brightness of 1,250 nits (though capped at 120 Hz), while the direct counterpart Xreal One Pro sits at 689 euros and cheaper models like the RayNeo Air 4 Pro drop to 346 euros.
If your idea is to use them with a desktop PC or a living-room console, with this money you could buy an excellent 4K 240 Hz ROG OLED display, I can assure you because I did so less than a year ago.
The scenario changes a bit if you want to use them with portable consoles or the smartphone while traveling or in different rooms of your home. If you’re willing to spend this amount, you’ll find that the ASUS ROG XREAL R1 unlock truly unique use cases and let you have a huge display at hand to use anywhere, from hotel room to café, including on public transport.
The premium price of the ASUS glasses is attributable to the inclusion of the ROG Control Dock and the implementation of 240 Hz, which I frankly found unnecessary given the quality trade-off of the image. The 120 Hz is more than sufficient, especially when the connected devices are often portable and not powerful enough to leverage 240 Hz at 1080p with the most demanding titles.
Using them via direct connection with a smartphone or handheld PC makes them the definitive accessory to improve the mobile gaming experience. I also strongly recommend them to film and TV enthusiasts who travel a lot and essentially want to have a cinema in their pocket.
However, in my view, for this technology to really make sense it needs to improve further or drop significantly in price. Is it worth paying the same money for a secondary display as for your own handheld? The answer varies from person to person, I think, and in my case it’s not entirely affirmative.
Let’s be clear: once you understand the type of product in hand, the ASUS ROG XREAL R1s impressed me to the core but they are truly difficult to recommend lightly except to users for whom such an expense is basically inconsequential to their budget.
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