XREAL Aura Price: $1,099 Launch Deal Explained

XREAL Aura, the first glasses running Google's Android XR, went on sale on October 28 at a limited-time starting price of $1,099. XREAL opened orders in the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea, with shipping due to begin in mid-November.

Update (2026-10-31): Road to VR reports that XREAL AURA uses dual Sony Micro-OLED displays with 1920 x 1200 pixels per eye, up to 120Hz refresh rate, 1,050 nits maximum brightness and 3ms motion-to-photon latency. Its compute puck uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite processor with up to 48 TOPS, a 4,455 mAh battery, a physical touchpad, a fingerprint sensor and dual USB-C ports. Road to VR also reports built-in Gemini AI context understanding, multi-screen virtual workspaces, wired PC mirroring and prescription lens inserts. The GameSir controller includes a charging dock, replaceable D-pad with two spare pieces and a wireless USB-A dongle. Highlighted launch experiences include NBA App for Android XR, Nevatars, Fallout: Factions, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars, NASCAR XR App, Cubism, Chess Club, Simply Piano XR and ShapexXR.

XREAL Aura price and refund terms

• 12GB RAM / 256GB: $1,099, reduced from $1,279 by $180
• 16GB RAM / 512GB: $1,299, reduced from $1,499 by $200

Launch pricing runs through December 2026. After that period, prices return to $1,279 for the 12GB / 256GB model and $1,499 for the 16GB / 512GB model. Both configurations come in Medium and Large frame sizes. Medium supports an IPD of 60-66 mm, while Large supports 66-72 mm.

XREAL says customers who already bought Aura will receive a refund for the hardware price difference. MIXED reports that this applies to customers who fully paid before October 28. XREAL expects refunds to begin within 30 days and return to each buyer's original payment method.

Shipping, retailers and accessories

The first units are scheduled to ship in mid-November to the US, Canada, Japan and South Korea. Orders are available directly from XREAL in those markets. US buyers can also order from Best Buy.

Selected Google Store locations in the US and Japan are expected to carry Aura in 2027. XREAL also launched a GameSir controller for $99 and a wireless keyboard for $79. The controller has a dedicated Gemini key. Road to VR reports that it includes a charging dock, a replaceable D-pad with two spare pieces and a wireless USB-A dongle.

Hardware and Android XR features

Aura weighs about 95 grams on the head and connects to a pocket compute unit. That unit combines Qualcomm's Snapdragon Reality Elite processor with XREAL's X1S coprocessor. The glasses use dual Sony Micro-OLED displays with 1920 x 1200 pixels per eye, up to 120Hz refresh rate, 1,050 nits maximum brightness and 3ms motion-to-photon latency.

The optical see-through display covers a 70-degree field of view. Aura supports 6DoF tracking and hand tracking, plus built-in Gemini AI context understanding, multi-screen virtual workspaces and wired PC mirroring. Prescription lens inserts are supported.

Because Aura runs Android XR, it can install regular Android apps from Google Play. XREAL says the glasses ship with more than 150 made-for-XR experiences. Highlighted launch software includes NBA App for Android XR, Nevatars, Fallout: Factions, Project Hail Mary: Journey Among the Stars, NASCAR XR App, Cubism, Chess Club, Simply Piano XR and ShapexXR.

What buyers should know

The lower price is a discount on the existing hardware, not a new model. The glasses previously started at $1,279, while early buyers who fully paid before October 28 are due the price difference under XREAL's refund policy.

Road to VR had hands-on time with Aura but had not published a full review. Performance, comfort and battery-life results therefore remain unconfirmed until review units ship. The current launch information also does not establish shipping costs, exact delivery dates, availability outside the four initial markets, whether Best Buy carries every storage and frame-size combination, or pricing and release dates for the accessories.