Virtual display glasses from Xreal, Viture, and Rokid are gaining traction as a lighter alternative to camera-equipped smart glasses like Meta’s Ray-Ban frames, according to a recent product test. The devices plug into a laptop, phone, or gaming handheld via a USB-C cable and project a virtual screen into the wearer’s field of vision, with Xreal models displaying images equivalent to a roughly 170-inch TV. Unlike Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, these display-only frames have no cameras or recording capabilities, which eliminates the privacy concerns associated with those products and keeps sensitive on-screen content visible only to the wearer.
The test involved two Xreal models: the $849 ROG Xreal R1, which is available for preorder and expected to ship in September, and the $299 Xreal xbx A01+, launched in May and shipping since July. The R1 offers a 57-degree field of view and can anchor the screen in place, while the A01+ has a 50-degree field of view, cannot anchor the display, and suffers from lower screen quality. Both glasses draw power from the connected device rather than using their own batteries, but the test noted overheating and blurred text after extended use, with the smaller model less prone to heat issues.
The glasses proved useful for gaming and video consumption, including connecting to a Steam Deck for playing Diablo IV and watching extended Lord of the Rings films, though a phone battery died mid-movie. They also worked for general laptop browsing and workplace Slack use, but failed to deliver a good experience when connected to a PlayStation 5. The visual fidelity remains inferior to standard laptop or smartphone screens, with fuzzy text and a sensation of eye strain after hours of wear, and the glasses’ chunky design drew laughter from a coworker when worn in the office.
Anshel Sag, a principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategies, said the main strength of these glasses is that they simply work when plugged in, and he regularly wears them on flights. International Data Corporation projects virtual monitor glasses will sell around 3 million units in 2026, making them the fastest-growing segment of a smart glasses market expected to reach nearly 14 million units that year. Xreal plans to expand into camera-equipped glasses with Project Aura, a partnership with Google running on the Android XR platform, set to launch later this year.
Sag noted that Project Aura, expected to cost under $1,500, does not spell the end of Xreal’s cheaper display-only models, as those lower-priced options help introduce consumers to the category before they consider a higher-end purchase. The current glasses, while imperfect in resolution, comfort, and style, demonstrate a practical use case for wearable displays without the bulk of devices like Apple’s Vision Pro, which the source noted was too heavy for prolonged wear.
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