USB-C-connected video glasses are a lot of fun if you want to see your games, movies (or just your computer screen) on a large, immersive virtual screen. One of the most well-rounded pairs out there, Xreal’s 1S, has returned to their lowest price yet, costing $399 at Amazon and via Xreal itself ($50 off). The small, yet welcome discount brings them a little closer in price to the company’s $299 xbx A01 Plus, which lack a handful of nice-to-have features that make the 1S a better choice for some people.
The 1S is among the most affordable pairs of video glasses to have three degrees of freedom, letting you anchor the screen to a spot in your room, as opposed to having the screen jolt around with every little movement of your head. Of note, their 3DoF implementation feels less buggy than competitors. They also have much better sound quality than the A01 Plus and most non-Xreal video glasses, plus electrochromic lenses that have adjustable opacity to let in as much (or as little) light as you wish.
Not everyone will have a fantastic out-of-the-box experience with the Xreal 1S’ screen clarity. I’m nearsighted, and I needed prescription lenses in order to see things clearly. This model doesn’t offer hardware-based myopia dials like Viture’s $299 Pro 2 does. The Pro 2’s clarity, for me at least, was incredible without lenses, though that pair lacks most of the premium features of the 1S.