Xreal unveiled its latest gadget at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2024 XR industry showcase, but it’s not a pair of AR smart glasses, but rather a smartphone-like device called the Xreal Beam Pro.
The Beam Pro is the successor to the original Beam adapter and solves many of the issues I had with this generation of AR glasses — and it’s surprisingly affordable.
The upgraded Beam Pro is an all-new Xreal glasses attachment compatible with Xreal Air and Xreal Air 2 models (including Pro and Ultra). Simply connect it to your glasses via a USB-C to USB-C cable, and it will turn into a real spatial computer running Android 14 and NebulaOS (Xreal’s self-developed operating system).
Beam Pro’s 6.5″ LCD 2K touchscreen lets you control what you see on your Xreal Glasses. You can also use the screen just like you would on a smartphone to manage your Play Store apps, adjust settings, and more. And dual 50MP cameras on the back let you capture spatial images and 3D videos at 1080p and 60fps.
Best of all, the 6GB RAM / 128GB storage model is available for just $199 / £189, and the 8GB RAM / 256GB storage model is available for $249 / £239. Pre-orders are available now on XREAL.com in the US, UK, China, Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Australian availability and pricing are yet to be determined.
If you buy Beam Pro and Xreal Glasses you can get a discount on the bundle, and if you have a first generation Beam you can save $50 / £40 on the Beam Pro if you pre-order by 10 July 2024.
The AR accessory we were looking for
We haven’t had a chance to try out Xreal Beam Pro yet, but it seems like the AR add-on we’ve been needing for a long time, one that solves a lot of the issues we had with the technology during testing.
First, finding compatible gadgets can be confusing. Subtle differences in hardware and software lead to a variety of compatibility issues that are confusing if you’re not tech-savvy. The original Beam was touted as a potential solution, but it still had compatibility issues because you couldn’t use it without a smartphone. Meanwhile, buy a pair of Pro and Xreal Air and you’ve got everything you need.
Secondly, the two USB-C ports eliminate battery woes. Xreal Glasses (and other wired AR glasses) can eat up your phone’s battery, and there’s no way to charge your phone and use the glasses at the same time. With the Beam Pro, you don’t have that issue, since you can use them and plug them into a power source at the same time.
Finally, this seems like good value for money: without any bundle discounts, the AR glasses and Beam Pro setup will cost between $498-648 / £528-638, making it a bit more expensive than the Meta Quest 3.
While AR isn’t prohibitively expensive, the compatibility and complexity issues mentioned above can make it feel less cost-effective when compared to XR devices such as VR headsets.
Beam Pro offers a simple plug-and-play option that combines a pocket TV and 3D camera – no other tech required, just a subscription to one of the best streaming services.
Of course, you’ll need to try out the Beam Pro to verify Xreal’s bold promises, but if you’ve been waiting for AR technology to start becoming worthwhile, this could be the catalyst to start paying attention to the field and finally dive in.