Xreal shows AR game demos and Xreal Hub accessory

Xreal‘s mission is to bring augmented reality (AR) to everyone, and now it is introducing Xreal Hub, an accessory for its AR glasses.

It’s also showing off AR game demos at the Game Developers Conference this week.

Using Xreal glasses and charging your device at the same time has been a highly requested feature from customers. The Xreal Hub is purpose-made exactly for this scenario. It’s a compact, easy to carry, two-port charge-and-play adapter that allows you to charge your source device while using Xreal glasses, so you can play longer sessions and don’t have to stop playing.

With more than 350,000 glasses sold to date, Xreal is the world’s best-selling consumer AR glasses, and the company is bringing its latest glasses and spatial computing innovations to the GDC in San Francisco from March 18-22. The Xreal Hub will ship this spring.

The Xreal AR glasses focuses on comfort, and it gives users a 130-inch to 330-inch virtual screen anywhere and anytime. That’s a giant gaming experience that’s also placed in the real world around you, connecting you to your environment and other people, instead of isolating you.

Xreal AR glasses are as powerful and as capable as high-performant standalone VR headsets, while maintaining the super stylish Wayfarer sunglasses design and lower price that makes them much more consumer-friendly, the company said.

The current consumer series of shades, all of which play great with games, includes Xreal Air ($299), Xreal Air 2 ($399), and Xreal Air 2 Pro ($449), all available now. The Xreal Air 2 Ultra ($699) is shipping soon. Xreal glasses are lightweight and comfortable, all weighing less than 80 grams with frames that are pliable and flexible; they’re easily carried on top of your head or in your pocket.

Xreal glasses are plug-and-play ready with handheld consoles like Steam Deck, Asus ROG Ally, Logitech G Cloud, Lenovo Legion Go, iOS and Android phones and tablets, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Windows PCs, Macs, and more.

The Xreal Beam spatial computing Wi-Fi adapter adds compatibility with more devices, like Nintendo Switch, and adds more mobility freedom. Plus, you can watch TV and movies, or do computer work, on our giant virtual display.

Game demos

Here are the developer partners Xreal is teaming up with at GDC:

Landing Party, from Monsarrat. Demoing at GDC for the first time on AR glasses, Monsarrat is an AR game company based in Los Angeles. It was founded by Johnny Monsarrat, who previously was founder, CEO, and CTO of Turbine, one of the “big three” first MMO game companies, with games including Asheron’s Call, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and Lord of the Rings Online.

His new venture, Monsarrat, makes outdoor RPGs. They are mobile AR walking games that go beyond GPS points to lay out a 2D roleplaying game landscape across your backyard or any space where you want to play. The first “test game,” Landing Party, is now available for previews. See videos and app store links at monsarrat.com.

“Working with Xreal, we’re making a completely new category of game that no one’s ever seen before,” said Monsarrat, CEO of Monsarrat, in a statement. “We make outdoor roleplaying games in AR, with deep storytelling and player interaction, the next big leap past Pokémon Go’s.”

Table Trenches, from DB Creations. DB Creations is an AR game studio based in Bellevue, Washington that crafts reality-defining games that bring players’ imaginations into the real world.

The team’s premiere strategy title, Table Trenches, is an AR real-time tactics game for phones and headsets that transforms any table into a battleground. At GDC, DB Creations is running Table Trenches on Xreal Air 2 Ultra for the first time, taking advantage of 3D environment sensors to create a digital battlefield anywhere in a real-world environment. Table Trenches is available for download now in the App Store and on Google Play, and can be downloaded for mobile devices to play with Xreal glasses at XREAL.com.

AppAARatus, from ForwARdgame. ForwARdgame is a gaming studio founded in 2017 and based in Berlin, Germany. ForwARdgame specializes in active AR, developing games and experiences that are social, evolving and diverse, played through physical activity. The partnerships leverage the newest XR technologies and include Xreal, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, Snap and more.

AppAARatus was first released in 2022, it’s a puzzle completion game powered by hand tracking and gesture recognition using Xreal’s NRSDK software. The game is playable for the first time on Xreal Air 2 Ultra at GDC, taking advantage of Xreal’s 3D environment sensors for 6DOF exploration. AppAARatus can be downloaded for mobile devices to play with Xreal glasses at Xreal.com.

Halo AR Museum, from Halo AR. Halo AR Museum is a virtual museum experience. You can dive into a 3D holographic world. Developed by a team of Stanford teachers and tech wizards who received backing the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education to create a mind-bending platform that combines education and entertainment to bring the wonders of science right to your fingertips, and in this case, right to a pair of Xreal Air 2 Ultra AR glasses.

Using Xreal Air 2 Ultra, you can embark on an epic journey through physics, biology, chemistry, astronomy, and more. With the entire solar system orbiting around your environment, you’ll even be able to explore the cosmos from anywhere.

Introducing Xreal Hub

Xreal knows the enjoyment of gaming isn’t just about the games you’re playing but is also having confidence in your tech while you play. Battery drain can be a pain point for gaming on the go.

Xreal Hub has an aluminum alloy shell and features laser engraved Xreal branding. Xreal Hub features two USB-C ports: one for power, as signaled on the device by a lightening icon, and a second port with video output for connecting with Xreal glasses, as signaled on the device by a glasses icon. Because Xreal Hub features USB-C supporting DisplayPort, anyone could use the accessory with many other external displays and monitors, too.

Xreal Hub is great for players or streamers who want to extend the fun and is also ideal for developers who need to extend their devices battery life during Xreal Air 2 Ultra app development. The device can pass through up to 120Hz refresh rate for 2D content and up to 90Hz refresh rate for 3D, both in 1080p Full HD. What’s more, Xreal Hub can support fast charging and can be powered through a portable power bank while on the go.

The Hub will be compatible with Xreal Air, Xreal Air 2, Xreal Air 2 Pro and Xreal Air 2 Ultra when it releases. XREAL Hub will be available on Xreal.com and Amazon and is expected to begin shipping in Asia, the United States and Europe throughout the spring.