Asus ROG and Xreal have opened pre-orders for the ROG Xreal R1, the first AR glasses with a 240Hz refresh rate. Priced at $849 and shipping June 1, the device features dual 0.55-inch Sony micro-OLED displays at 1080p per eye, a 171-inch virtual screen, 700 nits peak brightness, 0.01ms response time, and a 57-degree field of view. It weighs 91 grams and includes Bose-tuned audio. The bundled ROG Control Dock supports DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.0 ports for switching between up to three devices. The R1 functions as a wearable external monitor rather than a full VR headset — no hand tracking, no passthrough camera, no app ecosystem. It targets competitive gamers who prioritize refresh rate and portability. Key caveats include the X1 coprocessor being originally designed for 120Hz, a narrow 57-degree FOV, and 1080p resolution that limits sharpness at larger virtual screen sizes. Competitors like Meta Quest 3 offer more features at lower cost, while the broader smart glasses market is set to grow with upcoming products from Apple and Google.
