Xreal announced on October 7, 2026, that its Android XR glasses, Aura, would start at $1,279 in the U.S. Preorders were initially restricted to customers with paid reservations made before the announcement, so the listed price did not mean everyone could order immediately.
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The announcement fills in Aura’s U.S. configurations and broad rollout plans, but not every detail buyers may want: the available reporting does not establish localized prices for other countries, a precise public-order date, or the amount of the current priority deposit.
Xreal Aura price and configurations
Both Aura configurations include the glasses and a tethered compute puck. The base model pairs 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage for $1,279. A higher-capacity version has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage for $1,499.
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The top configuration keeps the announced U.S. price below $1,500, consistent with Xreal’s earlier pricing pledge.
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Aura is offered in medium and large sizes. Reports list medium as 60–66mm and large as 66–72mm, but the available excerpts do not explain the measurement further.
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Who could preorder, and when could others order?
On October 7, preorders were open only to customers who had already placed a paid reservation before that date. Xreal said general orders would open in the coming weeks.
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The deposit amount needs clarification. The Verge reported a $99 reservation when reservations first opened in June; Xreal’s October announcement said new customers could still place a deposit for priority delivery, but the provided reporting does not confirm that this later deposit was $199—or specify its amount.
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Xreal’s initial rollout was reported to cover the United States, Canada, Japan and South Korea, with additional markets planned for 2027. The available sources do not give firm country-by-country shipping dates or confirmed local prices outside the U.S.
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How Aura differs from Meta’s VR Glasses
At $1,279, Aura starts $20 below Meta’s $1,299 VR Glasses. The bigger difference is the display approach: Aura is described as transparent, while Meta’s glasses use an immersive display and video passthrough to show the wearer their surroundings.
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That distinction shapes the likely use case. With Aura’s transparent view, the real environment remains visible through the glasses; Meta’s passthrough design puts more emphasis on a virtual scene. This is a difference in design, not proof that one product is better for every task.
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Aura’s field of view is reported at about 70 degrees. Meta’s is listed as 70 degrees horizontally by 66 degrees vertically; The Verge noted that this is less expansive than a conventional VR headset’s view.
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Both devices have been demonstrated as glasses-style systems with tethered compute hardware, but early demonstrations are not enough to settle how they compare for long sessions, virtual typing, or day-to-day software compatibility. Aura runs on Android XR, developed in partnership with Google; the available reporting does not confirm specific Google Play or Gemini support.
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Where Snap’s Specs fit—and what demos can’t tell you
Snap’s Specs are a more expensive point of comparison: WIRED reported a price of $2,195. The Verge’s hands-on demo showed pinch-controlled interaction with virtual dominoes placed on a real table. That demonstration illustrates an AR interaction, but it does not establish how Specs compare with Aura or Meta for typing, software compatibility, or sustained everyday use.
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WIRED and The Verge’s coverage offers early hands-on impressions, not a complete assessment of final, shipping hardware. For buyers deciding among these devices, the unresolved details matter: exact local pricing and delivery timing, real-world comfort, software support, and how well the display and controls work over extended use.
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