alt Hacker NewsMy favorite purchase of 2026 was my pair of Xreal One Pro glasses, which I use as an external display while traveling or on the couch at home. These are not AR glasses; the category doesn’t yet have a well known, accurate, catchy name (Screen-in glasses? Facially mounted display? Spatial glasses?)
I agree with the article that AR glasses are not a great future, but I think [ e-display eyewear / screen spectacles / whatever we call them ] that are dumb and just display what you feed them, are great!
Replies
I think the term you're looking for is HMD (Head Mounted Display).
Curious about your experience - been mulling it over for a while. A few questions to anyone who has these:
How much did you pay - what do you think about the price?
Do you use prescription glasses?
Uses - HDR high res video (4k/8k big screen equivalent)?
Design? Color accuracy?
Programming/writing and reading - precieved dpi and contrast? (Print, eink, retina, OLED, 1080p lcd?
I don't need all of the best from the above - but would like to know...
I'm curious:
- do you use these in 'ultrawide' mode (3840x1080)?
- if so, do you find the head tracking works well (i.e. it just works)?
- do you notice the lack of vertical resolution?
(I don't own a pair of these or similar, and like the idea. But a portable monitor gives me a second screen in addition to my MBP. AIUI the glasses would mean I would no longer be able to see my MBP screen, so the glasses would be a substitute, not a complement.)
All I want from smart glasses is the possibility to get notifications above my field-of-vision instead of below. Not having to constantly look down at my phone would do wonders for my posture. No camera, no microphone, no XR - just a line or two of text.
I have the Viture Pro which is similar, but the trouble I've always had with display glasses like that is that having the display fixed to the center of your field of view feels very unnatural. They have all the sensors to support 3DoF tracking, but you need some (usually proprietary) software on the host device to enable that.
Still, if support for that becomes more standardized and the FoV gets better, I do think this category of displays is pretty exciting. I've found them useful despite those drawbacks!
I got a pair of original Nreal's back in the day. They're just bordering on being usable to replace my laptop screen. Some of the newer models might already be there, but I'm waiting for 4k models.
The Xreal one pro indeed seems to be AR glasses (their marketing page says "AR for all"), compared to something like the Xreal air which is more of a screen-in glasses.
In The Diamond Age Neal Stephenson used the term 'phantascope'.
Same here. I’m fully display glasses pilled now and once we get 4k micro oleds I doubt I will main a physical monitor ever again
how's the screen quality, on a scale from 1 to my 42" oled display that's sitting in front of me
Would be a cool combo with an EliteBoard G1a.
My fear is that as usual if they become popular, they’ll just be yet another device used for more invasion of privacy and spying. They won’t stay dumb for long. There will be mandatory apps, phoning home, the works. Look what happened with TVs lol
I second this. I have the same glasses, and it does exactly what I need: a portable traditional screen.
AR is a step too far. I don't actually need anything augmented. It's useful enough to just have a surface that I can put some status windows on while I walk around the house.