Nreal Air glasses: A new budget AR headset

This week, Nreal unveiled a new pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses, the Nreal Air. The glasses project a big-screen display right in front of you, allowing you to watch videos or play games for an immersive experience on the go. The Air glasses follow the release of the Nreal Light headset last year. Both use micro OLED displays, a tether cable to connect to your device and are designed to look like 'normal' sunglasses.

Nreal has made some improvements on the Light with the Nreal Air, such as a 90Hz refresh rate and high color density with as many as 49 pixels per degree (PPD). The field of view is slightly smaller at 46 degrees. The display is still large though, measuring 130 in (3.3 m) when viewed at a simulated distance of 9.84 ft (3 m) and 201 in (5.1 m) when viewed at 19.69 ft (6 m).

The Nreal Air will be compatible with iOS devices and most Android devices. The Air glasses are lighter, weighing just 2.72 oz (77 g), which should make them more comfortable to wear. Unlike the Light headset, there are no cameras on the Air glasses. This means that there is no hand tracking or spatial awareness. You will need to control the display using the app on your connected device.

The Nreal Air glasses are due to launch in December 2021 in Japan, China and South Korea. The headset is expected to roll out to the US and other western markets in 2022. Nreal has said that the Air glasses will retail at a lower price than the Light glasses that are currently retailing for €799 (US$926) in Europe.

Buy the Epson Moverio BT-300 - Augmented Reality Glasses with an OLED Display on Amazon