Xreal 1S review: The coolest gadget since iPhone

The Xreal 1S are a direct upgrade to the Xreal One glasses and as such, they bring a number of useful upgrades that make them a superb option for anyone looking for an awesome pair of XR glasses. At just 85 grams, they are light and ergonomic enough to wear for long periods of time without causing any serious discomfort, unlike full-sized headsets like the Vision Pro or the Meta Quest 3.

Would you let me try to convince you?

A huge, gorgeous screen in your pocket

The improvements over the Xreal One

Aspect ratio goes up from 16:9 to 16:10

16:10 has been getting more and more popular in laptops lately, and for a good reason. The additional vertical screen space comes in handy for productivity and even gaming. Similarly, on the Xreal 1S, the new 16:10 aspect ratio expands the view a little bit, which serves to unbox the view somewhat and make it more open. Again, while movies won’t benefit from this, games and productivity (window management and screen area) will.

Resolution increase to 1200p

This shouldn’t be considered a ‘separate’ improvement, because it comes along with the increase in aspect ratio, but nonetheless, it’s interesting enough to be mentioned here. With the move from 16:9 to 16:10, the resolution is respectively increased from 1920x1080 px to 1920x1200 px. This is where the additional vertical screen space is coming from.

Note that this resolution change doesn’t mean things will look more detailed. Small details like text will not become clearer, because the pixel density of the Xreal 1S displays remains pretty much the same.

When we eventually get to something like 2560x1600 px, that’s when we’ll notice a considerable improvement in pixel density and definition.

New Real 3D feature that instantly turns any 2D content into 3D

This one is really cool. Thanks to Xreal’s on-board X1 chip, the brand new Real 3D feature allows the glasses to convert any 2D content into 3D. This real-time processing causes the frame-rate to drop to around 30 fps, and makes the image somewhat jittery, but it does produce a 3D effect out of any content, which is very fun to play around with.

There are four levels of this 3D effect – from the most subtle to the most exaggerated. I find the default, natural preset (the second level out of four) to deliver the best balance between 3D and image clarity.

I think in the future, this Real 3D feature will also be great for games, especially dynamic, depth-rich types like first-person shooters (I tested it with Doom 2016 and it seemed pretty wild). However, due to the significantly reduced frame-rate, it’s not really ready for gaming right now.

But it’s pretty amazing for video! The 3D effect is mostly subtle (as it is when watching a 3D movie in the theater), but it does make what’s on screen feel more present. I was repeatedly switching between 3D and standard mode when watching a movie just to get a better understanding of Real 3D’s benefit, and while the current compromise with image quality is unfortunate, the feeling of presence when watching in 3D more than makes up for it. It’s a really cool feature that I find myself drawn towards when watching video. This is an indication that there’s a lot going for it.

As a bonus, viewing photos in 3D is also a lot of fun!

These are early days for Xreal’s Real 3D, so I imagine it’ll only get better moving forward, with less visual artifacts and smoother frame-rates.

Brightness increase to 700 nits

Maximum screen brightness has been increased from the Xreal One’s 600 nits to 700 nits, matching the Xreal One Pro. Any increase in brightness is generally beneficial, as it’d help make the glasses easier to see in brighter conditions.

Color gamut expansion

The sRGB color gamut of has been increased to 108% sRGB. It’s not a huge difference, but the image quality does have a nice vibrancy to it, without looking oversaturated.

FoV increase to 52 degrees

While the Xreal 1S are still somewhat boxed-in when it comes to their field of view, they have become ever so slightly wider at 52 degrees FoV, compared to the Xreal One’s 50 degrees.

In comparison, the Xreal One Pro are currently leading the way with a 57-degree FoV, although they have more distortion and vignetting towards the edges, which compromises their wider FoV a little bit. 

The ultimate display device

The Xreal 1S is so versatile, it could be called the ultimate display device. It can be a huge, high-refresh rate monitor that takes up a massive space in your living room (any room, really) and makes gaming way more immersive than on a regular monitor. Or it could be a small display to the side of your view to let you watch a YouTube video as you’re cleaning around the house.

Or, it could be a spectacular, curved 32:9 ultra-wide screen that allows you to line up 3-4 apps or windows next to one another for the ultimate multi-tasking experience. (This one is great for maximizing productivity!) 

Or, it could be a 3D display that makes photos and video come to life.

It can be a display that follows you anywhere you look, or it can be anchored to a specific spot, letting you turn around to view other things in the world and come back to find it sitting where you left it.

If I were to take a page from Apple’s marketing playbook, I would say that buying these glasses means you get five different types of displays, all in a single product.
And to top it off, the Xreal 1S work with any device that has a Type-C port with DisplayPort out support, like almost any modern Android or iPhone smartphone, Mac or PC computer, Steam Deck and other handheld consoles (the Nintendo Switch doesn’t work when directly connected to the Xreal 1S, but it does work if you use the optional Xreal Neo power hub). Did I mention the more-than-serviceable built-in audio by Bose?

Is the Xreal 1S worth its new, $449 price?

Wait, there’s more: despite the upgrades that come with the Xreal 1S, the company is reducing the price from $499 to $449, making them an even more accessible accessory to your digital lifestyle.

Sure, there are cheaper XR glasses, like the RayNeo Air 3s Pro, but the Xreal 1S step things up. They have so many additional features and goodies, that they easily justify their price.

At $449, the Xreal 1S are a terrific deal for anyone looking to augment their gaming, entertainment and productivity experiences.