Xreal and Google have partnered to develop Aura AR glasses, challenging Meta's Orion project. Unveiled at Google I/O 2025, Project Aura will run on Android XR and leverage Google's Gemini AI assistant. The glasses, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon XR chipset, aim to deliver immersive experiences with a large field-of-view, using optical see-through (OST) technology. They will also support Google Play apps, potentially broadening their appeal beyond entertainment to professional applications via Google Workspace.
Project Aura is designed as a tethered device, differing from standalone XR headsets. It features multiple cameras for spatial and hand tracking, similar to Xreal's existing Air 2 Ultra glasses. While specific details remain scarce, Xreal plans to share more at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in June 2025. The collaboration seeks to combine Xreal's hardware expertise with Google's AI and software capabilities, marking a significant step in the evolution of AR wearables and directly competing with Apple's VisionOS.
