Google-backed Xreal Aura XR glasses launch ahead of Meta’s VR

Aura Launches at $1,279, Preorders Open to Early Holders Only

Xreal announced the Aura’s pricing on Wednesday, positioning the device as a direct shot at Meta’s upcoming hardware. The Aura pairs display glasses with a separate processing puck and runs Android XR, projecting apps and experiences through micro-OLED lenses. Preorders are open for now only to people who placed an earlier hold, with wider availability expected in a few weeks, Xreal said. A higher-tier $1,500 model is also on offer, doubling the storage to 512GB and bumping RAM from 12GB to 16GB over the base version.

The glasses carry a 70-degree field of view, an upgrade over earlier Xreal hardware that gives apps more room to lay out on screen, along with hand tracking for pinch-and-scroll navigation similar to VR headsets. Google’s visually aware Gemini AI also runs on the device, able to recognize open apps and real-world objects around the wearer.

How Aura Stacks Up Against Meta’s Glasses

Meta’s own VR glasses are expected next year at a nearly identical $1,299, but the two devices diverge in design and capability:

• Meta uses pass-through cameras for its view of the outside world, while Aura relies on transparent lenses
• Meta adds eye tracking on top of hand tracking and works with Quest controllers and apps
• Meta’s display offers an 84-degree field of view, wider and higher resolution than Aura’s 70 degrees
• Both rely on external, phone-sized pucks built around Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR Elite chipset, and both support USB-C video-out devices for displaying content alongside native apps

The Aura is Google’s latest Android XR device, following last year’s Samsung Galaxy XR partnership. More are coming, including Gemini-powered smart glasses built with Samsung, Warby Parker, and Gentle Monster, all expected before the year is out.

A Price Ceiling Before the Real Fight Starts

Google getting Xreal to market first matters less than the price both companies are now anchored to. When the two biggest XR bets of the year land within $21 of each other, that’s not a coincidence, it’s a signal that neither side believes consumers will pay more for this category yet. The real test isn’t who shipped first but whether Meta’s wider field of view and eye tracking justify asking the same money as a device that already proved people will preorder sight unseen.