ASUS is dipping its toes into the wearables game, though it’s not doing so alone. The company has partnered with AR technology company Xreal to unveil the ROG Xreal R1 AR Gaming Glasses at CES.
Smart glasses developed by gaming brands aren’t necessarily new. Razer’s Anzu was released all the way back in 2021, but it technically didn’t receive any “gaming glasses” marketing. Viture’s Luma Pro XR or Beast glasses might be a bit closer, as both have Switch and Remote Play compatibility, though those were just part of a broader pitch.
Instead, ASUS ROG is treating the R1 as a full-time gaming peripheral. It looks to be based on Xreal’s existing One Pro glasses; both have the same 171-inch virtual screen, 57-degree field of view, and Bose-tuned sound system. However, ASUS has pushed the display to go as fast as 240Hz. The display itself is a micro-OLED running 1080p, with a peak brightness of 700 nits.
The R1 comes packaged with the ROG Control Dock, which lets you switch between your PC or console as the R1’s input sources.
Image: ASUS ROG.
In addition, the R1 is designed to fit more nicely within ROG’s ecosystem of products. It comes packaged in with an ROG Control Dock that connects to the R1 via USB-C. The dock is equipped with two HDMI 2.0 ports and one DP 1.4 port, and this could, for instance, allow you to quickly switch which device your R1 between your PC and console.
The USB-C port on the R1 also supports video from your phone or ROG Ally. The glasses also have two viewing modes. The default Follow Mode tracks head movement so that the display will follow your eyes; the glasses support both 3 and 6 Degrees of Freedom in this regard. Meanwhile, Anchor Mode will lock the display in place.
Powering all this is Xreal’s X1 SoC. But fitting all this tech has made the R1 quite a hefty pair of glasses, coming in at 91g. ASUS calls it “lightweight” but we can’t imagine a hundred grams sitting on your face being comfortable for long. But given how it’s oriented towards gaming, it’s probably not meant to be used as a constant outdoor companion.
There’s no pricing or availability details on the R1 yet. However, given that Xreal’s One Pro costs US$649, the price will probably be in that ballpark, if not more.