Xreal and Google Open $99 Preorders for Project Aura AR Glasses, Fall Launch Confirmed

Xreal and Google have opened paid reservations for their Project Aura augmented reality glasses, now officially named Xreal Aura, with a $99 deposit that secures a pair for the fall launch. The preorder program, announced at the Augmented World Expo 2026, is available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan.

The $99 deposit gives buyers $199 toward the final price, effectively a $100 discount. A limited "Founder Priority Pass" tier costs $299 and guarantees launch-day delivery, but only 2,000 of those reservations are available.

Confirmed specs and software lineup

Xreal has disclosed several hardware details for the Aura glasses. The device weighs under 95 grams, offers a 70-degree field of view, and supports 6 degrees of freedom tracking. It runs Android XR, Google's operating system for extended reality, and requires a tethered compute puck for processing. The company is targeting about four hours of active battery life on the puck, though official battery specs have not been finalized.

• Display brightness and resolution have not been officially specified, but early hands-on reports from Google I/O described the screen as bright and sharp.
• Confirmed launch titles include Project Hail Mary and Fallout games, as reported by 9to5Google.
• The glasses will also launch in Canada and South Korea, according to The Verge.

Market positioning and competitive landscape

The Xreal Aura enters a crowded AR glasses market that includes Meta's Ray-Ban Stories, Snap's latest Spectacles, and RayNeo's offerings. Xreal's partnership with Google gives it access to Android XR, which could provide a richer app ecosystem than proprietary platforms. However, the requirement for a compute puck may be a drawback for consumers seeking all-in-one designs.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Reality Elite chip, announced at the same AWE event, will power the Aura glasses, according to Gizmodo. This chip is designed specifically for AR and VR devices, potentially offering better performance and efficiency than previous mobile chips used in smart glasses.

Xreal has not announced a final retail price for the Aura glasses. The company is expected to reveal pricing and full specifications closer to the fall launch. With deposits now open, the next major milestone will be the official unveiling of the product, likely at a dedicated event or alongside Google's next hardware showcase.