Leaps and bounds have been made in the realm of smart glasses over the past few years, whether you’re looking for everyday AI assistants or AR models for immersive spatial computing. However, we’ve yet to see a solid pair designed for gaming. This makes sense since the standards for gaming are much more rigid, especially when it comes to things like refresh rate and screen size.
In terms of AR glasses, XREAL is already leading the way with its One Pro, and even the 1S which was recently announced. Now, they’ve partnered with gaming juggernaut ASUS for the first-of-its-kind smart glasses.
Gaming Heritage Built On Innovation
For those unfamiliar, XREAL has been a dominant force in the consumer AR space since rebranding from Nreal back in 2023. The Chinese company, founded by former Google engineer Chi Xu in 2017, has shipped more consumer AR units than virtually anyone else in the market. Their marriage with ASUS’s Republic of Gamers division was intevitable. The firm has spent nearly two decades building high-performance hardware for casual gamers and esports competitors alike.
The R1’s Gaming-First Approach
What sets the ROG XREAL R1 apart from previous AR models its focus on performance specs that gamers require. These are the world’s first 240Hz micro-OLED AR glasses, doubling the refresh rate you’ll find in most competing models. That high refresh rate translates to uber-smooth motion in competition. The FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution across both lenses keeps visuals sharp, though it’ll be interesting to see how that resolution holds up when stretched across the equivalent of a 171-inch virtual display positioned over 13ft away. This should feel like playing on a projector screen.
The 57-degree field of view is wide enough to feel immersive without completely blocking your peripheral vision of the real world. XREAL claims this covers 95% of your focused viewing area, which should provide a theater-like experience whether you’re gaming or watching content. There’s also an Anchor Mode powered by built-in 3D depth-of-field technology that pins the virtual screen to a fixed position, so you can glance away without losing your place. The electrochromic lenses automatically adjust tint based on your environment, though you can control this manually too. Like past XREAL models, the audio comes courtesy of Sound by Bose technology, optimized specifically for the R1.
ROG Control Dock Simplifies Setup
The included ROG Control Dock addresses one of AR glasses’ biggest pain points: connectivity. With two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DisplayPort 1.4 input, you can hook up multiple devices — say, a gaming PC and PlayStation 5 — then toggle between them with a single button press. For ROG Ally or Ally X owners, you can just plug directly into the handheld via USB-C with zero additional setup required.
Spec Sheet
Model: ROG XREAL R1 Gaming Glasses
Display: Micro-OLED, FHD (1920 x 1080) per eye
Refresh Rate: 240Hz
Field of View: 57°
Virtual Screen Size: 171-inch equivalent at 13ft
Audio: Sound by Bose
Connectivity: USB-C (direct), HDMI 2.0 x2, DisplayPort 1.4 (via Control Dock)
Features: Anchor Mode, electrochromic tint adjustment, 3DoF tracking
Compatibility: ROG Ally, PCs, consoles, smartphones
Pricing & Availability
ASUS and XREAL haven’t announced pricing yet, though expect a premium over XREAL’s 1S at $449 given the upgraded specs and bundled Control Dock. The ROG XREAL R1 is slated to launch sometime in the first half of 2026.
Recap
ASUS ROG XREAL R1 AR Gaming Smart Glasses
ASUS’s Republic of Gamers teamed up with XREAL to create the first AR glasses built specifically for gaming, featuring a groundbreaking 240Hz refresh rate and a virtual 171-inch screen.
