Virtual reality (VR) has grown increasingly popular over the last decade, particularly in gaming, but its practical applications for work have been limited. Many people are unaware that augmented reality (AR) solutions are already on the market, offering real-world productivity use cases.

Although I’ve had some prior experience using VR headsets, I’d never tried AR glasses. So I recently bought a pair to see whether they could improve my development setup, particularly when I wanted a large screen away from my desk.

Augmented Reality

In contrast to VR, where the wearer’s entire field of vision is covered by a digital scene, AR only partially covers your field of vision. This makes it possible to use a keyboard and mouse, interact with other people, and remain aware of the surrounding area. AR products are also typically smaller, making them more portable and comfortable to wear for longer periods.

XREAL One Pro

After some initial research, I went with the XREAL One Pro, one of the latest-generation wearable AR products. I chose them after hearing good things about their resolution and text quality, which are essential for comfortable coding.

The first thing many people notice is the sleek and compact form factor. Although the glasses are unlikely to be confused with regular sunglasses because of their wired connection and slightly protruding frame, they’re surprisingly comfortable. Several people have said that they do not look out of place in a public setting. More importantly, they are much lighter and easier to wear than a bulky VR headset. During longer sessions, the nose pads can start to feel sore, although this may be less noticeable for someone who is used to wearing glasses for longer periods. For ordinary work sessions, the weight and fit were not a problem at all.

Virtual monitors

To use the glasses, simply connect them to a computer, phone, or other compatible device over USB-C. They then act as a private display, showing virtual monitors floating within your surroundings. The glasses offer several viewing options: a screen can follow your view as a smaller side screen, sit in the centre of your vision, or remain fixed in place as a virtual ultrawide monitor.

When initially researching the glasses, I considered buying a cheaper pair without fixed spatial screens, but I am glad that I did not. Text is clearest at the centre of your line of sight, so being able to focus on different areas of the monitor while it remained locked in place made reading easier, particularly at an ultrawide resolution. In fact, I tended to use only the fixed ultrawide monitor mode, which allowed me to keep several Vim sessions and a browser open at once. The transparent lenses were less useful than anticipated when I tried to combine physical and virtual screens, as I found it slightly difficult to read text on a real monitor through the lenses. I often preferred to dim the lenses and work only on the virtual screen.

The text could be blurry at times, especially away from the centre of my vision, but once I got used to the display, it was clear enough to be productive.

Ergonomics

For me, the standout feature of the glasses was how comfortably I could position myself while still using a large display. I often projected a screen onto the ceiling while lying on the sofa. This was incredibly comfortable for my back, which is usually hunched over a desk. Even when working at my desk, it was useful to have the monitor positioned high enough to avoid neck strain.

Portability

The glasses were also useful outside in nice weather. I would normally struggle to use a laptop outdoors because of glare and insufficient brightness, but the virtual display was more than capable in the same conditions.

I also tried more imaginative use cases, such as watching YouTube while cooking or washing up. However, I quickly became hesitant about such scenarios due to concerns that splashes or moisture might damage the glasses, which I would certainly want to avoid given their price. They are more useful as a monitor replacement than as an always-on overlay for everyday tasks.

Conclusion

Overall, the technology is extremely impressive and feels genuinely futuristic. These glasses are not a perfect replacement for a normal monitor, but they are definitely comfortable enough for coding and/or watching movies. Moreover, they have genuinely improved my setup in some ways. Being able to take a large, bright, ultrawide workspace onto the sofa or into the garden certainly made the purchase worthwhile, and I suspect AR technology will become much more mainstream in the coming years.