Best of AWE 2026: 7 prime devices that present us the way forward for XR

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Augmented World Expo (AWE) has developed quickly into one of many largest reveals for seeing the way forward for digital actuality, sensible glasses and spatial computing. This yr’s version gave us some really showstopping information with earth-shaking bulletins from Snap, Qualcomm and lots of extra.

It actually appears like we’re attending to the purpose the place the traces of VR headset and smart glasses are beginning to blur into one system that provides you all of the efficiency of an enormous set of goggles — crammed into one thing the scale of specs.

And whereas there have been some key headline bulletins, that key DNA of small improvements that can change the face of spatial computing sooner or later remained robust beneath. We have been in a position to go hands-and face-on with a number of merchandise right here, and now it is time to decide the cream of the crop. Here are our picks for better of AWE 2026.

Best of present: Snap Specs

Snap’s iPhone second is right here. The Snap Specs are official, they usually’re far past every other standalone glasses you have seen by way of functionality. This is what occurs whenever you mix the tech of the very best VR headsets with the portability of the very best sensible glasses.

The finish result’s greater than only a technologically superior set of frames, however relatively a brand new paradigm in computing — transferring it away from being a device that takes you out of the world to a kind that will get out of the way in which. They’re a bit chunky, however the design round this hefty tech makes them look kinda trendy!

They’ve labored with builders for years with prototype {hardware}, and with over 5 million lenses prepared to make use of from measuring issues in free area to augmented guides on advanced real-world duties like fixing a automobile, and way more.

Will Specs stick the touchdown? That’s the last word query of those $2,195/£1,995 glasses. That’s a excessive value to pay — making them way more focused in direction of the early adopters on this area. Time will inform what occurs in the way forward for these glasses, however we did genuinely simply witness a breakthrough second in AR.

Jason England

Best chip: Snapdragon Reality Elite

Snapdragon Reality Elite is the high-end follow-up to the XR Gen 2 that powers the Galaxy XR headset. It comes with upgrades in efficiency and effectivity, powering the Xreal Aura compute puck.

In a number of eyes-on demos with the Xreal Aura, I’ve been impressed with the efficiency of the glasses and the processor. The glasses are responsive and fast, and I’m not saying it is the one factor that permits the Auras to hook up with the Switch 2, however we performed latency-free Breath of the Wild and the chip definitely helped make that occur.

This chip does what Qualcomm claims by bringing “spatial computing into the AI era.” Snapdragon Reality Elite blurs the road AR glasses and VR headsets with {hardware} that makes spatial computing helpful; now it is as much as the software program to catch up.

Scott Younker

Best AR glasses: Xreal Aura

The Samsung Galaxy XR is an effective blended actuality headset, however for all of the Android XR and Gemini options it has, they really feel a bit of restricted within the isolation of a chunky VR set you utilize at dwelling.

Enter Xreal’s Aura, and seems a pair of AR glasses is the reply to numerous this. Moving to optical see-through (OST – principally seeing the true world by way of lenses relatively than a show) creates an actual good augmented layer with what you see in Android XR.

That compute puck packs Snapdragon Reality Elite to maintain all of your experiences working buttery clean, and apps that have been simply tremendous on a VR headset grow to be nice on right here, just like the tabletop sport Demeo for instance!

Throw in an enormous 70-degree area of view, and you have got one other eal step in direction of squashing VR tech into glasses.

Jason England

Best AR Accessory: KiWear 2nd Gen sensible ring

Kiwear’s sensible ring would possibly simply be the way in which we management sensible glasses sooner or later. The ring makes use of intuitive gestures in your finger to navigate menus, open apps and even management the quantity by twirling your finger in a circle.

We noticed an early iteration at AWE 2025, however the model I attempted this yr was even higher.

The second-generation model provides “whisper controls” which let you discuss into the ring to immediate an AI assistant. This can be utilized for prompts or AI applications. In one instance, we have been in a position to ask about AWE utilizing an on-device mannequin

The ring does not include well being sensors like an Oura or Galaxy Ring, however possibly it does not want it when what you are actually doing is utilizing it as a controller to your different units.

Scott Younker

Best VR accent: bHaptics TactGlove

I’ve been impressed by the immersive bHaptics VR haptic vest and gloves prior to now, they usually did not disappoint this yr. The updates have been minor: new motors within the palm of the glove and a redesigned VCM wrist motor, however all three proved to make demos a extra attention-grabbing expertise.

The two palm motors make it really feel like really holding issues in your hand versus gripping along with your fingers. Meanwhile, the redesigned wrist motor helps give some weight to lifting objects, particularly in demos the place the objects have been presupposed to have totally different measurements, like a picket block versus a metallic one or a dumbbell in comparison with a drill.

Scott Younker

Best innovation: Lumus Waveguide show lenses

An clearly necessary a part of sensible glasses are the lenses you see by way of particularly now that shows are being built-in into AI glasses and never simply AR spectacles.

Lumus, which makes the lenses for the Meta Ray Ban Display glasses is attention-grabbing as a result of the corporate builds lenses that make the most of mirrors to refract the sunshine for the pictures. I used to be informed by David Goldman, Lumus’s VP of promoting, that this permits the lens to be thinner, lighter and allows direct bonding of perscription layers as wanted.

It makes for spectacular tech when regular seeming glasses can show info and down the road even photos and video at excessive decision with first rate shade.

Scott Younker

Best funds AR glasses: X By Xreal a01

I’ve bought a confession to make. While the X By Xreal a01 glasses are certainly being showcased proper right here at AWE, I’ve already had a pair for some time now — having flown around the globe with them!

So that is equal elements an award decide and a small set of impressions on my time with them. And in brief, they eliminate many issues numerous common of us do not care about (3DoF monitoring, electrochromic lenses), and concentrate on the basic expertise most of us really use them for: watching stuff and enjoying video games on a non-public cinema show.

And the tip result’s a strong pair of $299 AR glasses — the image is vivid and colourful, and whereas there’s no picture monitoring in anyway, clean observe does hold issues far much less jittery.

Jason England

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