Xreal, an Alibaba-backed startup, has recently launched its latest product called the Beam Pro. This innovative device allows users to view games and movies on Google Play Store apps in three dimensions using augmented reality glasses. The Beam Pro, which resembles a smartphone, serves as a virtual mouse and connects the AR glasses to various Google Play Store apps for gaming, movie streaming, and social media.
Augmented reality, which superimposes digital images over the real world, provides users with an immersive experience of being in a 3D virtual space. Xreal’s Beam Pro signifies Alphabet’s continued interest in the headset space following the retirement of Google Glass. In comparison, Apple has recently launched its Vision Pro offering, incorporating spatial computing technology to merge apps with a digitally captured version of the real world.
Xreal offers a diverse range of AR glasses, some weighing as light as 72 grams, that can mirror the screen of connected laptops, smartphones, or gaming consoles. The Beam Pro, designed to be connected to the glasses via a cord, is set to be available for U.S. deliveries by August at a starting price of $199. With the goal of establishing the Beam Pro as a standout product in the market, Chi Xu, the founder and CEO of Xreal, believes that this device could become the new standard in the AR glasses category.
One of the hurdles for wider adoption of AR glasses has been the lack of immersive content and the difficulty in integrating user-generated images. Xreal’s Beam Pro features two cameras that enable the capture of pictures and videos for three-dimensional viewing through AR glasses, similar to Apple Vision Pro’s capabilities. Leveraging Nvidia CloudXR technology and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon spatial computing platform, Xreal is continuously enhancing the product’s performance and functions in collaboration with Amazon Web Services.
According to IDC Research, Xreal held the largest market share in global AR headsets in 2023, showcasing the demand for AR glasses among consumers. With an affordable price range of $200 to $400 for a pair of Xreal AR glasses and the Beam Pro, Xreal’s products offer a cost-effective alternative to Apple’s Vision Pro, which retails at $3,500. Since its inception in 2017, Xreal has sold nearly 400,000 AR glasses, with users averaging four hours of weekly usage, and the top 15% exceeding 10 hours a week.
As Xreal looks towards the future, Chi Xu envisions three key directions for the evolution of tech glasses, catering to different preferences in VR experiences. With the aim of enhancing the cloud gaming experience, Xreal is gearing up to introduce 5G support for the Beam Pro, enabling seamless connectivity and access to a larger screen through AR glasses. By partnering with major global cloud gaming companies, Xreal aims to elevate the cloud gaming experience to a new level, offering users an immersive and engaging gameplay environment.