Should you buy the ROG XREAL R1 now or wait?

Wait on the ROG XREAL R1 until it ships. XREAL lists it for pre-order on its own store, but it is not shipping yet, so there is nothing on a shelf for us to judge on price. Hold your money until you can actually get a pair.

What it is

The ROG XREAL R1 is a pair of display glasses made with Asus's gaming brand. Like other XREAL glasses, it puts a large virtual screen in front of your eyes, fed by a laptop, a handheld console or a phone. The gaming tie-in points at players who want a big screen on a plane or a couch without carrying a monitor.

Why we would wait

A pre-order asks you to pay before anyone can tell you how the shipping product holds up. We do not judge a product on its launch claims alone, and we cannot yet compare its price against what stores charge, because no store is selling it. XREAL has stated an official price on its store page, and that is the price to compare against once it ships.

There is no downside to waiting here.

What would change our answer

The wait ends when the ROG XREAL R1 goes on sale. Then we read the price at real stores and run the answer again. If you need display glasses now, the smart glasses hub shows the pairs on sale today that we rank highest for watching and playing.

Exciting idea, not on a shelf yet. Wait until it ships.