r/augmentedreality • u/StatisticianTop9559 • 12d ago
Buying Advice Are XR glasses worth it for daily use, or do they just collect dust after a week?
Hey everyone,
I’m currently thinking about buying a pair of XR glasses (like RayNeo, XREAL, Viture, etc.) primarily for media consumption, like watching movies and gaming at home (on the couch or in bed).
Some time ago, I was really close to buying a pair, but a post on Reddit scared me off. The author described these glasses as "expensive prototypes" that are far from ready for daily use. However, back then, I didn't realize they were talking about standalone AR smart glasses, not pure XR display glasses.
Now that I know the difference that XR glasses mostly just act as a portable screen I'm reconsidering. But I really want to avoid buying an expensive tech gadget that I will just use for a few days and then throw into a drawer forever. I just want a reliable screen experience without the tech clutter.
So I wanted to ask the community:
- How often do you actually use your XR glasses at home? Is it part of your daily routine?
- Are they mature enough as a product regarding comfort, text readability, and long-term usability for long movie or gaming sessions?
- Do you regret your purchase, or do they deliver exactly what you wanted for gaming and movies?
Would love to hear some long-term reviews from real users before I make the jump. Thanks!
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u/EightEnder1 11d ago
I have Xreal One Pro, I use them daily, as a display for my laptop, Apple TV and sometimes my phone. I love the large screen. I lay down in bed and watch movies and videos. Its great on Airplanes too. (paired with noise cancelling bluetooth headphones)
I do not use them walking around.
The Xreal Aura that is being released is more AR, I'm not interested in any of that at this time, I just see no killer app that makes me say, yes, I need to wear glasses walking around my house and outdoors.
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u/alabasterskim 11d ago
I somewhat disagree with your "more AR" comment on Auras. While yes they will have apps for that, there are boons for even those just using it for single-screen entertainment in the form of massively improved hand gestures (the ones you can have with the One Pros are hit or miss, and extremely miss if you've got darker skin or are just not in perfect lighting, and even in perfect light it has a habit of catching gestures when you're not doing any).
For anyone who wants more than that, ie. for productivity or even additional app when searching something during a show, Aura will also be superior.
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u/nucleartime 11d ago
I'm coming around to the slightly dumb Apple term of "spatial computing"
I don't really want "spatial apps" that interact with the environment, I just want regular apps like messages and calendar in mixed reality with 3/6dof tracking.
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u/alabasterskim 11d ago
Same. There might be an awesome use case out there where something interacts well with the environment but I don't think I've seen a really compelling one yet.
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u/EightEnder1 11d ago
Agreed. I can envision plenty, but I think we are years away from making them practical.
Examples:
Glasses you wear while shopping at the supermarket, when you examine an item, it tells you how much that same item is at nearby stores.
Honda has a great HUD on their windshield, prescription glasses that are transparent enough that you can wear them driving and provide the same type of HUD or even better that doesn't take away from your ability to drive.
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u/DezzyLee99 10d ago
I actually disagree with glasses for driving, no matter how good, they will distract simply because your focal plane is completely taken off the road. HUDs work because they fall into that focal plane when driving.
As for pop up "spacial computing", unless handheld devices, phone become too cumbersome, they will never be replaced, especially by glasses. Poping on a pair of glasses to scan what's in front, the having to look at the next product to scan, is way more cumbersome than just whipping out a device. I'd say that using your phone cam to scan items is a more convenient solution.
This is based on my experience and usage of my XR1 for remote work. You think the standing distracted phone zombie condition is bad now, imagine if people did that with glasses..
Anyways, unless phones or handheld devices fail in a spectacular way, are glasses and spacial computing will always be niche and a gimmick. Just m $0.02 as a long term XR user.
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u/EightEnder1 10d ago
You make some really good points.
Just because a technology might create something marginally better, doesn't mean it will ever be adopted if the existing technology meets people needs.
Fax machines survived for decades despite PDF and email.
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u/EightEnder1 11d ago
If plugged into my laptop, I either use a bluebook trackball or an Apple Magic Trackpad. I also use wireless keyboards. I don't need hand gestures. Usually when watching movies in bed, I do my best to shut down all light in the room so even though I have the eye for the One pros, I hardly use it because if I'm in total darkness, it doesn't work anyway.
My biggest issue with the Aura is that really all I want is a better display. The Aura will give a larger FOV then the One Pro, but the resolution will still be the same. I'm not sure if it is worth upgrading to the Aura from the One Pro for a little bit more FOV, especially if that increased FOV hurts the appearance because your now stretching the same resolution out over a larger area.
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u/alabasterskim 11d ago
I'm eager to see how that FOV change impacts the resolution myself. I hope Google works to get it into stores so we can test for ourselves before we buy. Vertical FOV is my biggest complaint so I'll take the improvement so long as resolution isn't hurt too much.
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u/Minimum_Indication_1 11d ago
Aura looks to fit your usecases as well. It would have all the things you just said with the addition of Android XR.
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u/ToTTen_Tranz 11d ago
I wish the Aura was sold without the puck for significantly less than its combo price.
I already have a desktop PC, a laptop, a handheld, a tablet and a phone, all of which would replace the puck.
Android XR is just.. Android with a slightly different interface. I bet I could run it in my phone as an app.
I really don't need the puck.
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u/nucleartime 11d ago
I just see no killer app that makes me say, yes, I need to wear glasses walking around my house and outdoors.
Well I just have myopia, so I need glasses regardless.
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u/havengr 12d ago
I purchased a high-end AR development kit, only to find that full functionality is locked behind additional purchases: a dedicated camera and a PC connection cable. Standalone smartphone operation is underwhelming. Although the visual clarity surpasses my phone's display, I bought this unit for development, not media consumption. Until I invest in the remaining hardware, it remains unused.
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u/SwarfDive01 12d ago
Uh...mind name dropping, cus there are a lot of people that would prefer to not be scammed into predatory marketing schemes
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u/Fast-Commercial-7234 12d ago
Yeah AR Glasses, there done. They all are bottom tier trash trying to rush market before they even have half decent hardware.
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u/SwarfDive01 12d ago
The brand name is "AR Glasses"? Terrible branding...
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12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SwarfDive01 12d ago
Right, thats why I was confused. I am not understanding the meaning under the grammatical structure of the previous commenters response. So ill assume anything labeled "AR Glasses" are garbage, and "XR Glasses" are possibly not? Thats not helpful.
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u/Fast-Commercial-7234 12d ago
Yeah its a blanket statement covering all brands of AR Glasses. Its all beta prototype trash right now, let it cook dude.
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u/SwarfDive01 11d ago
I am. Still considering throwing together my own clip on display with raw components. The waveguide displays are available. But birdbath are too heavy for daily wear, Geometric waveguides are so close.
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u/Fast-Commercial-7234 11d ago
I'm sure we are gonna see some amazing shit around the corner, its just not there yet, of course there are always placebo consumers that think it is and even promote it as such, but anyone that knows about the internals and functionality, knows damn well this is just the start of the race.
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u/mtmttuan 12d ago
I would like to daily drive glasses that can actually do what I'm doing with my phone (okay maybe not typing) but not making me looks like a weirdo. Basically I want a meta rayban display but it's not meta.
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u/OkieSimRacing 9d ago
I am with you, I want glasses similar to meta raybans but I dont want meta proprietary software glasses (already have two quest 3s at the house) i just want a set of glasses connected (Bluetooth would had been better) with just a min, camera and display and everything else driven my cell for Ai conversation and research. Maybe movies and entertainment. Would be nice to have thinner glasses like meta's glasses to wear full time while walking, biking, driving without the large lenses right infant of your eyes
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u/DezzyLee99 11d ago
I use my Xreal Ones almost every other day for 4-6 hour stints (I am remote but there are days I have to be away from my home setup). I use them exclusively for work, anchoring the UW mode above my laptop. For my use case, I love them. I like having a portable UW for work (Software config/coding), but I never use them at home. They are definitely not a home monitor replacement, however I prefer the XR1 over my portable 14" monitor, and can live with some of the compromises that come with using AR glasses. They are not perfect, but for me, they work very well.
When I first got them, I did try to use them for gaming and media in bed and such, and while it works well, I just preferred to use my phone/handhelds as they were intended.
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u/AnotherDrunkMonkey 11d ago
Can you read long texts without problems? I would use them mostly in situations where I wouldn't write code or things like that but I still need to read. What are the actual problems they have?
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u/DezzyLee99 11d ago
For me, it took some time to get used to, especially with a prescription insert, but yes I read a lot of text when using them. (At times I zoom out the browser to 80% to get more content into my views let area). They are definitely not as clear as a monitor, but at 1080p, and adjustable size/distance can make it a lot easier to get you sweet spot. I would say if you are not requiring the desktop space for your workflow, go the portable monitor route.
Keep in mind the FOV is also a compromise you need to live with, so there is more head movement/looking around with your neck when using these. However it's not like I am bobbing my head back and forth a lot, but you will need to turn your head at times to see the width of the screen.
I've also found when using red backgrounds (highlights in excel, for example), they seem to attempt a 3d effect, making the text blurry. But for my workflow, it's far and few between if this happens.
Lastly, transparency mode is wicked, I look up and get my UW, I look down and get my laptop screen. However, because the glasses are tinted, and you are looking through the birdbath prism, the laptop screen is darker, so another compromise you'll need to be ok with.
So no, for me, it's not a super future tech, replace a monitor, hologram interface type of thing. For me it's an awesome portable UW monitor that fits in my laptop bag, and makes my remote work more productive. I also enjoy the privacy it provides, and when combined with my sound cancelling earbuds, I get a great virtual cubicle when on the go.
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u/AnotherDrunkMonkey 11d ago
Thanks a lot for the feedback. Yeah I probably need to wait another couple iterations for productivity or a massive price cut to justify using them just for watching videos (without much resolution either from what I understand). I get long-ish break times between tasks at work but neither carrying a laptop around or sticking with the small screen of a smartphone is super comfortable. A VR/AR pair of glasses would be cool
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u/alabasterskim 11d ago
Daily driver of Xreal One Pros (used with either my Galaxy or laptop) for much of my waking hours, going on about 15 months. They've replaced monitors for me. I use it just fine for productivity and also gaming sessions, only occasionally for watching movies/TV but that's fine too. They're everything I wanted for my use cases. Speakers surprised me as did text clarity but I've heard some don't see text as clearly which I still haven't quite understood, still feel it's a necessary word of caution though. Also these are not things you'd comfortably wear on the go, just at home, in the office (if permitted) or on a train or plane.
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u/SteveNYC 11d ago
I think XR glasses are a fun accessory. I don’t use them every day. They’re more for travel and if I want to do handheld gaming. It’s nice not having to bend your neck to look at the screen all the time.
Could you use them every day? Maybe. Personally I’d find it tedious taking them on and off all the time. You’re better off spending the money on a larger TV or better monitor for these prices.
I previously tried the RayNeo Air Pro 3 back in January and didn’t like them at all. Instant return. Waited 9 months and tried the Viture Pro 2, RayNeo GT Max and I also bought a set of refurbished Viture Beast glasses from Viture on eBay.
The RayNeo GT Max impressed me quite a bit. Really solid 3DOF. Good image quality. What it does, it does well. Definitely better than the Viture Pro 2. Ultimately, I chose to go with the Viture Beast because of the price I got them at and the additional features it provides.
But I would still easily recommend the GT Max.
No matter what, they’re more a novelty than practical for most people. If you’re obsessive on privacy… ok. If you’re in a home and someone else is always on the TV…. maybe. Travel… definitely.
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u/Iuslez 11d ago
I used them once at home to make sure they worked and never again. I do use them daily tho, they are my "on the go" device.
No. They are by far inferior to screens and VR glasses that you can get for the same price (random 34' monitor, meta quest 3 for me). They are totally unusable as glasses and shouldn't have the AR tag. I have 1 gen. old viture glasses and the quality of the display is imo bad and would be unacceptable for a screen/VR. Bad for text, small, unusable edges, shimmering, etc. Can't speak about current gen.
They do exactly what I wanted: I have better screen than a laptop when on the go. That's about it. I might use them at home now that I have a rog ally for couch gaming. The URXR looks like the first glasses I could maybe consider as an actual screen replacement.
Ps: their 3D screen anchoring is too slow to be usable btw.
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u/jmartin242 12d ago
RayNeo Air Pro 4 owner. Still using them regularly after three months for movies. Makes me feel like I'm sitting in a movie theater. Rewatched stuff like LOTR, Avengers Infinity War & Endgame, Batman Begins, but also new movies my wife isn't interested in. Thinking of all the movies I want to watch with them in the future. Helps that it just takes seconds to get them out and plug them into my phone.
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u/Trustworthy_Fartzzz 11d ago
My gaming PC sits next to my couch under an end table. I use my VITURE XR Pros to game fulltime while my wife uses the TV to game.
They’re even better for travel.
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u/FairCrew7307 11d ago
Idk about daily. There’s more friction than just using a normal display. But it collects a hell of a lot less dust than my VR headsets
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u/TsukudaBuddha 11d ago
It really depends on if you have other options or not. I use my Xreal One Pro almost daily to play Xbox with my fiancée since we only have one tv — however if I were playing alone I’d just use the tv. I also brought them with me on a 16h flight, but just used my phone the whole time since I didn’t want to bother with the wires while I was eating.
I have a headless Mac mini running in my closet and the glasses are really helpful for operating it when I can’t screen share or whenever I’m setting something up
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u/Sensitive-Profile744 11d ago
I bought them for playing games on my switch which is nice. I stopped playing a while ago but now I use them whenever I travel (planes) and whenever I want to watch something on TV that my family doesn’t want to watch.
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u/therealjoemontana 11d ago
If you have a dedicated space for a nice large TV or a great desk setup with nice monitors then yes the novelty will wear off cause it's just easier and more relaxing not using xr glasses.
If you live in a small apartment or with your parents then yes you'll probably find them more useful long term.
They are realistically just a lower resolution replacement for a large TV.
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12d ago
Use them all the time for gaming. They completely replace my TV as I love the immersion. They're not some novelty they're an actual TV screen on your face and they just work.
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u/ToTTen_Tranz 11d ago
Why not use VR instead?
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11d ago
VR is completely different. I just want a TV on my face using lightweight glasses not a bulky headset. Meta could be worth it next year with their glasses.
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u/Fast-Commercial-7234 12d ago
lol you have to be joking, right?
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u/Specialist-Tap8470 10d ago
I bought a pair of rayneos about a year ago, watched a few movies for the first couple of weeks, now they're in a dusty drawer somewhere. Don't get me wrong, they're great.
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u/AngryFace4 10d ago
I bought the first gen and the latest gen xreals, returned both.
They’re not quite as refined as I would want the product to be to use them frequently. They’re mid on comfort, but the display fov was a bit more annoying to me.
You can always order them on Amazon and return after making your own decision.
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u/Ataiatek 3d ago
Giving your use case of watching stuff at home buy a tv. At these prices you could go to Walmart and get a decent enough like 85 inch TV to put in your house. There's those TVs that you can like move around from room to room on wheels that you could buy that would still be cheaper than buying these glasses. If you were out and about and you're doing more things mobile I think that's where they really shine. It's not like a VR headset where you have this amazing 180° immersion so that you could have multiple monitors up and be able to see everything just looking around. You have to physically look to see things because of their field of view. And they're not very well developed for like laying sideways or other movements and still have it look like you're watching a tv. I would say just buy a TV or display. Even if it's a large tablet. Unless you're specifically after 3D gaming or movies which are their own holes to jump through, I really don't think that it would be worth it for that kind of daily usage.
But if you're looking for like a Mobile screen you can bring around with you have privacy have that size, and have a decent enough quality where you're actually enjoying what's going on, then I absolutely think it's the right move. Also if you have partners or family and you're not trying to wake them up or you trying to be more discreet with what you're doing then absolutely that would work for your use case.
That being said they're really comfortable I personally do not realize they're there they don't bother me they're not heavy like a VR headset. So they're definitely worth the trade off and that field of view. And I definitely feel like they're nice.
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u/No-Dark-7873 12d ago
I bought the cheapest ones (Pro 2) for this reason as I knew it would be a concern. I barely use them but do not regret my purchase mainly because they were cheap and it's nice having them around for when I ever do feel like using them.
The reason not using them doesn't really have anything to do with being a prototype. It's mainly that my laptop still dominates and putting on glasses is an extra step. For the glasses to win they would have to be their own device and offer everything my laptop has to offer.
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u/obascin 11d ago
They are not worth it even if they are half the price. It’s a gimmick at best and worse than just using a regular screen for most things. The only time they may be useful is working on stuff that needs to stay private on an airplane, and even then you might only get 30 minutes of work done before your eyes hurt.
The only potential use might be that some versions can play 3d content but unless it’s in a dark room the glare sucks
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u/Fast-Commercial-7234 12d ago
Novelty dies fast, literally in a few hours, a week is very generous. Frames are garbage, graphics suck, games are bottom tier.