What you need to know
- The ASUS and Xreal partnership is finally here as the ROG Xreal R1 AR gaming glasses debut.
- The glasses feature a Sony 0.55-inch micro-OLED display, but users can project a 171-inch virtual screen.
- This device is designed to feel like a true addition to ROG Ally, a handheld game console with smooth fresh speeds, vivid visuals, enhanced sound and 2D to 3D conversion for games.
- The glasses are available for pre-order at Best Buy for $849.
If you’ve been eyeing a certain pair of gaming-focused smart glasses collaborations, today’s your day.
ASUS ( ROG ) and Xreal’s collaboration for a pair of AR smart glasses has been rumored since January, and now the ROG Xreal R1 is available for pre-order today (May 15). In the press release, ASUS claims that the R1 glasses are an extension of the ROG Ally (portable gaming handheld). ASUS says this has helped to combine “hardware and software to deliver a cohesive experience.” As for Xreal, its XR technology helps bring everything together.
As a result, the R1 smart glasses feature Sony’s 0.55-inch (and projected 171-inch virtual) micro-OLED display with a maximum refresh rate of 240Hz. To further enhance the feeling of “wearing” a handheld game console on your face, the article states that the display offers minimal motion blur and judder while providing smooth visuals and a “highly responsive” experience.
Users can adjust brightness, screen size, aspect ratio, effects and more in real time. In addition, the collaboration facilitates 95% coverage of the user’s “focused” vision. Speaking of keeping focus, the R1 glasses feature “Electrochromic Lens” technology. This fancy term refers to the device’s ability to be transparent when the user is looking away from the screen. When you come back, the area around the docked screen is colored so you can focus on the game.
Gaming is hard without the right hardware, and that’s where the ROG Control Dock comes into play. Connected to the ASUS DisplayWidget Center, users can customize their virtual screens via keyboard and mouse for system-wide control. Other features like AI-enhanced crosshairs and more helped push the “PC-like quality” experience, but for a pair of AR glasses.
Breaking the norm is real-time 2D to 3D conversion. It allows users to transform their standard games into something with more “depth and scale”. Users can place the display in a fixed location or enjoy its seamless tracking. Other tools allow users to customize the screen color level along with frame rate boost. For sound, the two companies are leaning on Bose to lead the way.
Xreal and ASUS are confident that this audio support will provide clarity for distant steps and explosions for “higher awareness”.
Gaming glasses are here
ROG Xreal R1 is available for pre-order via gaming glasses Best Buy For $849. The press release states that pre-order availability will open on the official Xreal store on May 17 at 3 AM ET (12:00 PM PT).
ASUS and Xreal An appearance at CES 2026 surprised us for this release. These glasses try to achieve one specific area: gaming. The R1 glasses provide a fixed display on the lens, but the projection screen can take your gaming experience to another level. Either way, with powerful PC-like game quality and controls, users will find a whole new way to play their favorite games.
Android Central’s Take
These glasses are cool. I think it’s cooler than other smart glasses on the market today, but that’s just because I’m a gamer. I already play a few games on my phone, games that I could play on a PC or a standard game console, but this is different. The projected screen is another aspect that interests me. While this screen can only project from about 13 feet away, it’s a neat addition that they didn’t have to add. I think one aspect of these glasses will be the price. I wonder how many people are chasing these glasses at this price.
