Xreal Beam begins shipping today in the US and Japan. The Beam is an alternative way to connect AR headsets like Xreal Air to your PC, console or phone. Normally, a wired USB C-to-C connection is required between the headphones and the device.
With Beam, however, you can go wireless. It still needs a USB connection to the goggles, but it’s a small device that you can slip into your pocket (doable with a phone, not so much with a PC or even a Nintendo Switch).
The Beam doubles as a power bank and can run the Air for up to 3.5 hours. Plus, there are two USB-C ports on board, so you can connect external power as well. This second port also allows for a fully wired connection to keep latency as low as possible.
In case you were wondering, the Air goggles don’t have any battery inside them to keep them light, that’s why they need a wired connection to something, be it the Beam or whatever. By the way, Apple has taken a similar approach with Vision Pro.
The Xreal Beam is $120 in the US, the Xreal Air goggles are $380. If you’re just starting your AR journey, you can get the two bundled for $488 (a small $10 discount).
In Japan, the Beam costs ￥16,980 while the glasses are ￥45,980. The Beam + Air package receives no discount and costs ￥62,980.
You can pick up an Xreal Beam and Air from the company’s US store and its Japanese store. The Beam should also be available on Amazon US soon, the Air glasses already are.
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