Sensible glasses firm Viture had a busy 2025, releasing its strong Luma sequence of glasses and guaranteeing that its professional cellular dock is appropriate with Nintendo’s Change 2. Now it’s kicking off 2026 by debuting a brand new mannequin at CES, referred to as The Beast, and it’s out there to preorder now for $549 with delivery beginning in February.
The worth is excessive for an organization identified for undercutting Xreal’s glasses with most (however not all) of the identical options. In some methods, the worth hike is warranted; Viture has caught up with Xreal because it has three levels of freedom assist built-in, letting you anchor your display in digital house, or permitting the display to easily comply with your head actions. Earlier fashions have required further {hardware} or software program.
The Beast’s 58-degree subject of view can be spectacular because it’s a six-degree enchancment over Viture’s earlier flagship mannequin (Xreal 1S helps 52 levels). In order for you extra than simply three dimming choices, which is what most sensible glasses have supplied, the electrochromic tint that The Beast makes use of gives 9 ranges of adjustment. This allows you to see as a lot or as little of your surrounding surroundings as you want. It additionally has an embedded digicam that can unlock six levels of freedom in some use circumstances sooner or later.
Relying on the individual, these advantages would possibly make The Beast’s $100 premium value value it in comparison with the cheaper 1S. They’re definitely good additions, even when they’re not must-have options for the typical person.
One unlucky omission in The Beast is myopia changes. Earlier Viture fashions have dials above every eye’s show to allow you to make minor tweaks to get a clearer picture. As a substitute, The Beast is available in two sizes (common and huge), however you might want prescription lenses in case you’re nearsighted. I, for one, am nearsighted, however I used to be nonetheless in a position to obtain clear outcomes with some changes to the included nostril pads.
If you happen to’re deciding between The Beast and the 1S (or some other AR glasses), listed below are some specs and ideas value figuring out: Each assist as much as 1200p decision (although Viture says it’s coming after launch) and 120Hz refresh fee. They each have 2D-to-3D conversion options that goal to make content material extra immersive, although my first impression wasn’t optimistic with both set. The Beast weigh about 96 grams in response to my kitchen scale, whereas the 1S weighs in at 86 grams (Viture advised The Verge that this preproduction unit weighs about two grams greater than the ultimate manufacturing model). The burden distinction is simple to note, and tweaking the match of The Beast was all however crucial with its included nostril pads. The Xreal 1S’ weight distribution feels extra snug.
Anecdotally, I’ve most well-liked how my video games and films look via Viture’s glasses, although each manufacturers declare to make the most of Sony’s newest micro OLED screens. Textual content and particulars seem sharp on The Beast and 1S, although the distinction is richer with Viture’s mannequin. If those that personal Viture’s Luma Professional glasses have been content material with the sphere of view and never having the ability to simply anchor the video feed in digital house, I’m not satisfied that these are value upgrading to. And whereas Xreal doesn’t have the higher hand on this mannequin in a significant means spec-wise, the lower cost and weight of the 1S will most likely make it the extra standard decide.