Xreal Aura AR Glasses Set for Fall 2026 Launch with Snapdragon Reality Elite Chipset

Xreal announced the Aura AR glasses, formerly Project Aura, will ship in fall 2026. The company says the base model’s price will not exceed $1,500, excluding taxes. Reservations are offered in two formats: a $300 Founder Priority Pass guaranteeing first-batch delivery (limited to 2,000 units) and a $100 reservation fee that converts to a $200 discount. Supported markets include the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, and selected EU nations.

XREAL AURA AR Glasses Get Fall Release Window, $1,500 Price Ceiling

The Aura glasses use a split-compute design that combines Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Reality Elite chipset with Xreal’s X1S Spatial Coprocessor. The chipset offers up to 60 % higher GPU, 30 % higher CPU, and 160 % greater NPU performance (48 TOPS) versus the XR2+ Gen 2 platform. It supports UFS 4.0, 4.2 GHz RAM, dual USB 3.1, Bluetooth 6.0, and an expanded EVA block for real-time 3-D scene reconstruction. The glasses weigh under 95 g, have a 70-degree field-of-view, and provide six-degree-of-freedom and hand tracking.

Qualcomm Announces Snapdragon Reality Elite, Its New Flagship XR Chipset

Aura runs Android XR, providing access to the Google Play Store and Google’s Gemini AI assistant. Xreal says over 100 XR-specific apps are in development and partners are adding more software. The device supports multimodal AI, 6DOF and hand tracking, and uses the Snapdragon Reality Elite NPU for on-device generative AI, including large language and vision models.

XREAL AURA AR Glasses Get Fall Release Window, $1,500 Price Ceiling

Xreal’s reservation page states the Aura’s base price will stay below $1,500, excluding taxes. The company also offers a $199 credit for early reservations, which reduces the final price by $100. Qualcomm says the Snapdragon Reality Elite chipset is built to deliver more immersive experiences, higher performance, greater intelligence, and better power efficiency. Best Buy is the first in-store retail partner.

XREAL AURA AR Glasses Get Fall Release Window, $1,500 Price Ceiling

Sources differ on price: Xreal caps the base model at $1,500, while The Verge reports no disclosed price, only a $199 credit and a $100 discount. Launch regions also vary; Xreal lists the US, UK, Japan, South Korea and selected EU markets, whereas The Verge adds Canada. Reservation fees conflict: Xreal offers a $300 Founder Pass and a $100 reservation converting to a $200 discount, while The Verge describes a $99 reservation with a $199 credit. Xreal has not clarified these differences.

The Verge

• “will not exceed US$1,500, excluding applicable taxes,” — Xreal, official reservation page

XREAL AURA AR Glasses Get Fall Release Window, $1,500 Price Ceiling

• “saving you $100 on the final price.” — Xreal, deposit scheme announcement

The Verge

• “a headset masquerading as glasses” — Google, product description

The Verge

• “better immersive experiences, higher performance, greater intelligence, and improved power optimization,” — Ziad Asghar, Qualcomm XR head

The Verge

Xreal will present the Aura at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in Long Beach, California, June 15-18, confirming a fall shipment. The reservation program stays open, and the first retail units are expected through Best Buy and other partners after launch.

The Verge