Xreal Air + Beam review
The Xreal Beam is the perfect companion for the Xreal Air. It eliminates the need for any cables or adapters when using the augmented glasses, while also simplifying the overall experience by taking over as the primary interface. It’s still not perfect though, and there are still issues with gaming and stuttering while using the Beam, but it’s a welcome addition to the Xreal Air experience.
The Xreal Air + Beam bundle is $488 (£499), which is a fair chunk cheaper than the Apple Vision Pro headset, and it includes both the glasses and controller. It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to buy the bundle, as the Air glasses can be purchased separately for $299 (£299), and then you can pick up the Beam separately for $149 (£149).
The Beam itself has a design that’s reminiscent of an early Apple iPod, with a circular navigation wheel and multiple buttons for easy control. It measures 4.16 x 2.59 x 18.2 inches, and weighs 5.4 ounces, making it both compact and portable.
Setting up the Beam is a little frustrating, as download speeds for updates and installation are slow, meaning that the whole process can take up to two hours. Once you’re up and running, however, it’s completely wireless, which means that you can use the Air glasses with multiple computing platforms, such as iPhone, MacBook Pro, and Windows desktops.
There are three options for projecting images onto the Air glasses, and you can use any of them simultaneously:
Wireless connection with Apple devices is a bit of a faff, and you have to remember that it’s only available if you buy the Beam bundle. You have to go into Settings > Screen Mirroring, and then select Xreal Beam from the list. It’s certainly easier than having to use the Xreal desktop app, but it’s still not as straightforward as the Apple Airplay Mirroring feature.
The Beam works well for gaming, but you might encounter some issues with stuttering and audio cutouts during fast-paced action. The experience is certainly better with it than it is with the Air’s standard wired controller, but it’s still not perfect. I also found that I could extend the desktop, and use the Xreal Nebula app, with the Air glasses, but stability varied depending on what I was doing.
The one thing that might put people off the Xreal Air + Beam bundle is the fact that the controller gets quite warm, and it has an internal fan for cooling. It didn’t really bother me, but I can imagine that some folks might be put off by it.
All in all, the Air + Beam combo is a convenient and wireless solution for using the Xreal Air glasses with your various devices. It’s not perfect, and there are still some issues with gaming, but it’s a big step up from having to use a wired controller.
Xreal Air + Beam specs
Here are the Xreal Air + Beam specs:
