I’ve read many reviewers switch to AR headsets from monitors, but these all seem to be 1080p per eye. I wouldn’t be happy working on a 1080p monitor and have been thinking about upgrading from my 10-year-old 1440p Dell to a 4K one. Would it be better to choose 1080p AR glasses? Is the experience in terms of detail different from a 1080p monitor?
No. I own one of these 1080p glasses, and while they are awesome for media consumption, they are nowhere close to a physical monitor, 2K or 4K for productivity. Some of these glasses have major issues. Assuming a pair sits perfectly on you with a sharp display, they are still a hassle. Some require adapters or helper devices to power them or for display output if the device you are connecting to has HDMI instead of display over USB-C. They are really best suited for watching media as of now. I wish these companies stopped exaggerating their uses in their marketing material; they are simply nowhere near what they claim.
Thanks, feels like I am best waiting for the cheaper lighter Apple Vision Pro in about 5 years time.
There are like 4 different models coming out at the start of this year. No need to wait for 5 years. Play For Dream MR, Pimax Dream Air, MeganeX Ultralight 8k, and Immerser Visor. And then Samsung is coming out with models too. Pimax Dream Air especially might be interesting, as it has display port connection for uncompressed 4K. And it’s inside-out tracked, so you don’t need base stations like with the MeganeX.
Yes, the Pimax looks like pretty much exactly what I would want. Probably too featured, to be honest, as I don’t really need hand motion tracking or anything.
Towards the end of 2025 to 2026, there should be all kinds of high-res OLED models for a good price.
The birdbath options are all pretty similar to a single 24" 1080p monitor for productivity.
Pixel count is not the best metric for headsets. Pixel Per Degree is a lot better metric to represent the perceived resolution. Human vision is around 60 ppd, Xreal air 2 pro is 49 ppd, and Apple Vision Pro is 34 ppd.
Doesn’t that mean the actual display is small but high res? If I were to use my IDE using the headset, I would ideally need high pixel per degree and wide field.
I think these glasses work as a monitor for productivity for some people for light office apps. When glasses become suitable as a general-purpose monitor replacement for more people, we will hear about it everywhere. That’s such a big market, and glasses and microdisplays would start to disrupt it. Everyone would talk about it.