Apple Vision Pro vs XReal Air 2 Ultra: Battle of the Spatial Computing Headsets

Apple Vision Pro vs XReal Air 2 Ultra: Which is the better spatial computing device for XR enthusiasts? Since Apple first introduced its new mixed-reality headset, the hype around spatial computing has exploded. It seems like virtually every leading vendor and XR developer is exploring the benefits of spatial experiences.

XReal, a leading smart glasses company, was one of the first vendors to introduce a competitor to the Apple Vision Pro at CES 2024. The company’s XReal Air 2 Ultra glasses promise an immersive spatial experience for a fraction of the price of Apple’s headset.

So, how do these two solutions stack up?

I tested both options to bring you this comprehensive comparison guide.

The Apple Vision Pro: Quick Verdict, Pros and Cons

The Apple Vision Pro is a cutting-edge mixed-reality headset featuring an in-built M2 and R1 chip for immersive viewing experiences. It’s a lot more like a “traditional” XR headset than the XReal glasses, but it lacks the need for controllers and leverages fantastic eye and hand-tracking capabilities. This headset is powerful, but its huge price tag doesn’t make it very accessible.

Pros:

• Phenomenal hand, eye, and face tracking
• High-quality visual experiences
• Powerful built-in chips and processors
• Intuitive, proprietary operating system
• Customizable user experience

Cons:

• Expensive pricing
• Large and clunky design
• Occasional software issues

The XReal Air 2 Ultra: Quick Verdict, Pros and Cons

The XReal Air 2 Ultra smart glasses also promise an intuitive AR/VR experience without the clunky headset of the Apple Vision Pro. They combine powerful OLED displays with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rates for excellent visual fidelity. These glasses also offer hand and face tracking for immersive spatial experiences. However, they are slightly less powerful than the Vision Pro headset.

Pros:

• Excellent per-eye Micro-OLED display
• Far more affordable pricing
• Stylish and lightweight design
• Supports prescription lenses
• Effective eye and hand tracking

Cons:

• A wired connection to a device is necessary
• Fewer advanced features

Apple Vision Pro vs XReal Air 2 Ultra: The Specs

The Apple Vision Pro and XReal Air 2 Ultra are both “spatial computing” solutions, but they’re very different. The Apple Vision Pro is essentially a wearable spatial computer with extensive mixed reality capabilities and a host of technology built-in.

On the other hand, the XReal Air 2 Ultra glasses are a spatial computing “accessory” that you can connect to your laptop, phone, or PC. Unlike the Vision Pro, these glasses won’t work as a “standalone” headset, but they’re still excellent at supporting various use cases, like working in virtual spaces or playing XR games.

Let’s look at the specs side by side:

	Apple Vision Pro	XReal Air 2 Ultra
Price	Starting at $3,499	Starting at $699
Processor	M2 chip and R1 chip	Snapdragon
RAM	1TB, 512GB, and 256GB	None
Resolution	4K per eye (23 million pixels)	1920 x 1080 per eye
Refresh rates	90Hz, 96Hz, and 100Hz	120Hz
Display type	Micro-OLED	Micro-OLED
Tracking	Face, hand, and eye tracking	Head and hand tracking
Functionality	Standalone or tethered	Tethered only
Field of View	Approx 100 degrees	52 degrees
Weight	600-650g	80g
Battery	Up to 2.5 hours	Always plugged in
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6	USB Cable

Pricing and Availability

The Apple Vision Pro is available to order in various regions worldwide, including the US and the UK, just like the XReal Air 2 Ultra. Unfortunately, one of the biggest things that has prevented the device’s sales from skyrocketing is its price.

The Apple Vision Pro starts at a massive $3,499 if you only want 256GB of storage, and that’s without the cost of any accessories you might want to add. On the other hand, the XReal Air 2 Ultra costs a fraction of that, at only $699.

There may be other costs to consider for the Air 2 Ultra, too. For instance, you might buy an XReal Beam Pro, if you want a handy spatial computing device that prevents you from relying exclusively on your phone or computer to power the specs. Still, even with the Beam Pro (with prices starting at $199), you’ll pay much less for XReal’s glasses than you would for a Vision Pro.

Apple Vision Pro vs XReal Air 2 Ultra: Design

One of the biggest differences between Apple’s headset and XReal’s spatial computing glasses, is the design. As I mentioned above, the Apple Vision Pro is closer in style to VR headsets like the Meta Quest 3. The XReal Air 2 Ultra specs look exactly like a standard pair of sunglasses (with a few bulky bits).

Like most smart glasses, the XReal Air 2 Ultra specs have a few chunky components – they’re not as stylish as a set of Meta Ray-Bans. However, they are certainly more comfortable to wear than the Apple Vision Pro headset. These specs only weigh about 80 grams, whereas the Apple Vision Pro weighs between 600-650g depending on your chosen strap.

This generally means you’ll feel the pressure of the Apple Vision Pro on your face a lot faster. Apple has tried to make the wearing experience more comfortable by offering access to customizable straps and even designing each headset to fit customer faces perfectly with adjustable light seal cushions. However, the weight of the headset is too much for some users.

Plus, if you wear prescription lenses, getting a set of optical inserts means paying an extra $99-$149 on top of the device’s initial price. The XReal Air 2 Ultra specs also support custom prescription lenses without dipping into your budget too much.

One thing worth noting is that both devices require a wired connection to something. The Air 2 Ultra glasses must always be plugged into your tech or a Beam Pro to enable smart functionality. The Apple Vision Pro, on the other hand, needs to be connected to an external battery. So, while Apple’s headset can be a “standalone” device, it still doesn’t give you a wire-free experience.

Visual and Audio Performance

As you can probably tell from the specs list above, the Apple Vision Pro has a stronger display overall. While both devices feature dual micro-OLED screens, Apple’s headset boasts a resolution of up to 4K with a 100HZ refresh rate and an approximate 100-degree field of view.

The cheaper XReal Air 2 Ultra specs still deliver great visual performance, with a resolution of 1920×1080 per eye. You also get refresh rates ranging up to 120hz, which is a little better than what you can expect from Apple. The downside is that the FOV is much lower, meaning immersive images won’t cover your vision as much as they would with Apple’s device.

From a sound perspective, the Vision Pro uses dual speakers near the temples to enable spatial audio. The audio is actually pretty good – a lot better than what you’ll find in a lot of cheaper headsets. Plus, there’s a six microphone array, for exceptional immersive collaboration.

The XReal Air 2 Ultra specs feature 2 stereo speakers with built-in technology to help minimize audio leakage. Although I was impressed by the clarity of the audio, I did find bass and depth to be lacking a little with these specs.

Mixed Reality and Spatial Experiences

One great thing about both the Apple Vision Pro and the XReal Air 2 Ultra specs, is that neither device requires the use of controllers. Both solutions can track various motions and gestures, allowing you to interact with content in a more natural way.

The XReal Air 2 Ultras feature slightly less powerful 6DoF tracking technology, however they’re excellent at keeping track of your hand gestures and general movements. Plus, the glasses are packed with spatial computing technologies, such as plane detection and spatial anchors.

The Apple Vision Pro offers all of the same hand and eye tracking capabilities of the XReal specs, but it’s much more effective at processing gesture information. The dual-processor consisting of an M2 and R1 chip ensures you can interact with all kinds of extended reality content with excellent precision. The eye tracking features are particularly good, making it easy to interact with your apps and tools, leverage foveated rendering, and use OpticID for app authentication.

From a mixed reality perspective, the XReal glasses genuinely allow you to see the real, physical world around you at all times. Alternatively, the Apple Vision Pro blocks your vision and replaces it with a camera-captured interpretation, using a robust camera configuration.

Both options offer control over your level of immersion. For instance, you can switch between virtual and mixed reality with the Apple Vision Pro. With the XReal Ultra, you can use a dimming button to either block out or reveal the environment around you.

One point worth noting is that the XReal Air 2 Ultra can work with more programs and apps because it displays whatever can run on your connected device. Apple is investing in adding more applications to its Vision Pro app store, but you will have slightly less flexibility.

Overall Performance and Battery Life

Ultimately, after testing both the Apple Vision Pro and the XReal Air 2 Ultra smart glasses, I’d have to say Apple’s device is more powerful. After all, it has it’s own proprietary software (VisionOS) and a dual-chip computing system built-in. However, the exact performance you get will depend on which version of the Apple Vision Pro you choose.

The more storage you pay for, the more room your programs will have to operate effectively. Despite this, the Apple Vision Pro does offer stronger hand-tracking capabilities, and more impressive visuals than the XReal Ultra Specs, but all of that power comes at a price.

On average, the Apple Vision Pro will only give you a couple of hours of “play time” before you’ll need to charge it again. Although there are a few tricks you can use to extend the battery life slightly (I’ve covered them here), you won’t be able to use your headset all day.

The XReal Air 2 Ultra glasses don’t have their own battery, which means you’re restricted to the battery life of your connected device. Depending on the apps you use, you can drain your laptop or smartphone battery pretty quickly. That’s why I’d probably recommend investing in the XReal Beam add-on, particularly if you want to use your glasses all day.

Apple Vision Pro vs XReal Air 2 Ultra: The Verdict

Overall, both the Apple Vision Pro and the XReal Air 2 Ultra are impressive spatial computing devices, but they stand out in different ways. You’ll definitely get more power, and more advanced mixed reality experiences with the Apple Vision Pro. However, the advanced functionality comes at the cost of battery life, overall comfort, and a hefty price tag.

Alternatively, the XReal Air 2 Ultra specs aren’t quite as advanced as the Apple Vision Pro, but they’re a lot more comfortable, lightweight, and convenient. They don’t run as a standalone device, so you’ll need to keep them connected to your computer, smartphone, or a Beam accessory.

However, you can still get a phenomenal experience with the XReal Air 2 Ultra glasses, without paying the astronomical price you’d pay for a Vision Pro.

I’d say if you’re looking for powerful (and comfortable) spatial computing experiences for a low price, stick with the XReal Air 2 Ultra specs. If you want cutting-edge power, and advanced mixed reality, the Apple Vision Pro might be worth the higher cost.