XReal 1S Review: The Best Display Glasses in 2026?

The XReal 1S recently dropped, and as an XReal Visionary, I was sent my very own pair for review. With my recent expansion into XR glasses, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. That said, I did receive these glasses for free, so please keep that in mind. As always, I will share my full, honest thoughts regardless of how any device is obtained.

Your First Step Into Augmented Reality with XReal 1S

So, what exactly are AR glasses? In a world where new XR devices are being revealed just about monthly, it’s hard to keep up with all of the lingo. Let me start by saying there is a difference between display glasses like the XReal 1S, and true augmented reality that provides a hologram like experience to modify your world.

The XReal 1S offers a large screen in your glasses capable of displaying any supported device it is connected to. That means these are basically a pocket-sized portable monitor. Not a true standalone AR device. That said, they may just be the best display glasses in 2026. Let’s get into my XReal 1S review to dive deeper into the new glasses.

Design & Comfort: Wearing the Future

The XReal 1S offers a premium design while maintaining a very comfortable weight with tons of adjustments. Out of the box, you can move the arms of the glasses into three positions, effectively raising or lowering the screen to what is most comfortable for you. Additionally, three nosepads come with the glasses that are easily interchangeable.

These two methods of adjustment give users a customizable experience to ensure they fit as many people as possible. That said, they still won’t work for everyone. The official IPD (spacing between your eyes) support includes adjustments from 59.5 – 70.5, so if you fall outside this range, your experience may be uncomfortable.

Ultimately, while some users may find friction here, they offer an adjustable fit to work for the vast majority of people out there. While they may not be the most lightweight AR glasses on the market, they remain one of the most comfortable I have tried so far, making it incredibly easy to wear them for hours. I was able to watch the entirety of Avatar in 3D and play a couple of races in Grid: Legends before I felt any fatigue.

The Visual Experience: A Private Cinema on Your Face

I truly cannot explain how convenient it is to have a virtual big screen to watch your favorite movies in a cinema-like experience whenever you want. I’m not going to over exaggerate and say its the best way to watch movies. I still love going to the theater. That said, I am able to have a portable movie theater wherever I travel. Not only that, no matter what position I lie or sit in, the screen can remain in the center of my view. As a bit of a movie buff, this makes AR glasses a key piece of tech in my collection, and the XReal 1S are my new favorite pair.

While birdbath optics still aren’t perfect (more on that in the next section), the OLED display quality is absolutely stunning, the 120Hz refresh rate is perfect for gaming, and the option to get up to a 500in display makes these a surprisingly all-in-one solution.

Will they replace my monitor for work? I wouldn’t go there quite yet. While the display is beautiful for movies and games, text remains the friction point, as with most XR devices. Now, you can definitely read with these; we are far from the screen door effect that plagued early VR headsets, but sometimes I felt the need to strain my eyes to make out smaller text, which would be a problem for a long working session.

Understanding the Optics: Clarity and the Birdbath Effect

Let’s dive into those issues with birdbath optics I mentioned. First, let’s explain the XReal 1S display tech and how they work. To keep this as simple as possible, birdbath optics have a mini screen ABOVE where you are looking, and a mirror is used to reflect that screen towards your eyes. What this means is that they are a little bulky, and notice how I mentioned their whole purpose is to reflect light.

What this leads to is pretty noticeable reflections coming from the top of the screen at almost all times. For some users, this is a serious problem. For others, it’s easy to ignore or mitigate with their specific fit. Luckily for me, I was able to ignore it for the most part, but it’s definitely noticeable. If you are sensitive to AR glass reflections, I may recommend you look into the XReal One Pro with their newer prism optics.

3D Magic: Bringing Your Videos to Life

XReal 1S launched with the new Real 3D mode. This means that while these glasses support 3D SBS content just like other display glasses, they also offer a 2D to 3D video conversion, allowing you to turn ANY content into an immersive 3D experience.

Now, I am not going to say this feature is perfect, but for their first version of this type of tech, I am truly blown away. My complaint about mobile racing games is always that they feel flat due to the low render distance. The depth provided by the Real 3D completely solves this. Watching drone footage on YouTube in 3D was also insanely cool. That said, it gets weird with text; some letters will appear at different “heights”, so to speak, making for a disorienting experience. I sense a theme here.

Connectivity: Which Devices Work with XReal 1S?

This may be the best part. XReal 1S works with any device with a USB-C port that supports DisplayPort Out (DP-Out or DisplayPort Alt Mode may be used in product specs). This means most Android Phones including Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel, newer iPhones with USB-C (iPhone 15, 16, and 17), Steam Deck, and a ton more work right out of the box with the included cable.

Even if your device doesn’t support DP-Out, there are a ton of options to connect with additional accessories, such as the new XReal Neo, which adds support for the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. You can also pick up HDMI to USB-C adapters to plug in your PlayStation 5 or other HDMI devices.

Pros and Cons

The Verdict: Is the XReal 1S Your Perfect First Pair?

The XReal 1S are staying as my go-to XR glasses, joining my Meta Quest 3 and Ray-Ban Meta glasses in my daily XR devices. They are the best AR glasses I have used. While they are a bit pricey at $449, they are cheaper than the XReal One Pro, even though I easily recommend the 1S over the Pro model. They are the perfect blend of good cost and great features. While they aren’t perfect, they are a hard package to beat in 2026. I recommend them to everyone looking for a premium display experience in a glasses form factor.

Looking for the best budget AR glasses? The RayNeo Air 3S remains the king of budget. At $199, they are affordable, but don’t expect any of the customization or advanced features of the XReal 1S.