XREAL One vs One Pro: Should You Upgrade to the Pro Model?

If you are looking for a new pair of AR glasses, the XREAL One and XREAL One Pro have likely caught your eye. At first glance, they look like identical twins; both are stylish, black and incredibly lightweight.

However, the real difference is hidden inside the lens technology and the viewing experience. While the standard XREAL One offers a fantastic personal movie experience, the Pro model steps it up with a bigger virtual screen with high brightness and a more custom fit. 

Let’s break down the difference to help you decide if the Pro features are worth the extra dollars.

Specifications#

Comfort And Design#

When it comes to the first looks of the XREAL One and XREAL One Pro, both models look the same as they both come in a single color, which is black.

The XREAL One Pro weighs just 87 grams, which makes it feel more like a regular pair of sunglasses that are thin and easy to carry. While the standard XREAL One is technically lighter, by only 3 grams, it still weighs 84 grams. Honestly, I didn’t feel that much of a difference because both models are incredibly lightweight compared to other heavy tech glasses.

If we talk about the lens, then you can feel the real difference as the XREAL One uses older technology and the glasses are a bit thicker than the XREAL One Pro. While XREAL One Pro uses a newer technology and it uses lenses that are thinner. 

If we talk about the fit, I personally like the Pro model as it is much better, as you can buy the glasses in medium or large to match your face shape. Both models are made to be worn for hours, whether you are on a long flight or playing games in your room.

Both models come with flexible arms and zero-pressure nose pads that you can swap out. This feature stops the glasses from digging into your skin and making it uncomfortable during long sessions. 

These glasses also come with a built-in dimmer switch, which helps the lens to turn dark in 3 different levels that are  0%, 35% and 100% so that it can block out the outside light for a better viewing experience.

Both the glasses feel premium and they are made with a cool-to-the-touch metal shell.

However, if you are about to watch a 2-hour movie, then the Pro series is a clear winner as it fits your specific size.

Connectivity#

The best thing that I like about these devices is that you can plug a USB-C cable directly into your phone, laptop, or gaming handset.

Both of the glasses have a special spatial chip in them, which makes the features work automatically.

These AR glasses do not have their own battery, so they require a connected device battery to run. I personally like to use XReal’s Beam Pro as it acts as an alternative to phones to run these XReal smart glasses smoothly. It also acts as a battery backup for the XREAL glasses, as it has a 4300 mAh battery with two USB-C slots.

Both glasses use high-quality Sony Micro-OLED panels. It feels like a tiny 1080p TV for your eyes, but the experience differs as XREAL One creates a virtual screen that looks like a 147-inch TV with a brightness of 600 nits. On the other hand, XREAL One Pro creates a massive 171-inch virtual screen with a brightness of 700 nits that creates a punchier image that is easier to see in well-lit rooms. 

Display#

If we talk about gaming and smoothness, then these models are an excellent choice as they both run at a 120 Hz refresh rate, which helps refresh the image 120 times a second. So, those fast-paced games run like fluid. Both devices come up with 3ms latency, which means that there is no virtual delay between you moving your head and the screen’s reaction. This helps you not to feel that jelly motion sickness effect.

The most important difference between these two models is that XREAL One uses older lenses. You often see a ghost-reflection, like seeing your own shirt or a bright light’s reflection on the bottom of the glass, but in XREAL One Pro, we see that it uses the flat-prism design, which almost completely fixes the reflection issue.

Both devices came up with 100% UV-certified blue light protection to keep your eyes safe during long movie marathons.

Price and Availability#

The XREAL One is priced at $499, whereas the XREAL One Pro costs $649.

Both these models are available worldwide. You can also get this from XReal’s official website and via their authorized retailers.

Final Verdict#

The pro model costs you $150 more than the standard one. 

If I were buying one today, I would go with the Pro model because the clearer image and better fit make it worth the money, but your choice really depends on where you plan to use them most.

So you can choose the Pro series if you have plans to use these outside, like in an airplane or for gaming. The Pro model also blocks out annoying glare and that ghost reflection.

If you want a perfectly clean image without distraction, this is the one to get, but if you are a night owl and mostly have plans to watch movies with the lights off, the XREAL One is perfect. You don’t need the extra brightness or even the fancy anti-glare feature in a dark room, so there is no need to spend the extra money.

FAQs#