Google shared more details today about the first AI glasses that will be powered by its new Android XR platform, which recently made its debut on the Samsung Galaxy XR headset. The company also revealed Project Aura, wired XR glasses developed in partnership with consumer AR glasses company XREAL.
With Project Aura, Google and XREAL want to replicate the experience of using a full-fledged mixed reality headset with a smaller form factor. “Equipped with a 70-degree field of view and optical see-through technology, these devices layer digital content directly onto your view of the physical world. This gives you a massive, private canvas to place multiple windows, allowing you to take your workspace or entertainment with you without blocking out your surroundings,” the company said today.
Google plans to share more about Project Aura next year. The wired XR glasses will coexist alongside simpler AI glasses with a small in-lens display that can show turn-by-turn navigation and other helpful information, as well as audio-only glasses. The latter will let users chat with Google’s Gemini assistant and ask it questions about their surroundings. The first AI glasses powered by Android XR will be released next year, Google said today.
Lastly, Google announced some updates for Samsung’s Galaxy XR headset, starting with the ability to link the device to a Windows PC. This new PC Connect feature, which is now available in beta, allows users to have their Windows desktop appear alongside Android apps. A new travel mode is also here to stabilize the view when using the headset in a moving environment.