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At CES 2026, I was able to play the Nintendo Switch 2 in AR. That's something I hadn't done before, and that's because until now, only one company had an AR dock that worked with Nintendo's latest console, which doesn't like to play nice with AR glasses plugged directly into it. Viture's solution is fine, if a bit bulky, but Lifehacker has long praised the AR glasses from competitor XREAL, and finally, you can use XREAL glasses with the Nintendo Switch 2.
Previously, XREAL did have an accessory that allowed for gameplay on the original Nintendo Switch, but it's since been discontinued, and even if you buy it secondhand, it won't work with the Switch 2. Now, the XREAL NEO changes that.
Coming in smaller than Viture's dock, the NEO is basically a combination portable battery bank and AR adapter that allows you to use your XREAL glasses while powering them and charging/converting whatever device you're displaying at the same time. It's got a 10,000 mAh capacity and a 20W output on its own—enough for fast charging—but you can also plug it into a wall while using it, which will allow your devices to charge at 65W+. That should be especially handy if you're primarily using the Neo as an adapter, and yes, it will allow your glasses to display the original Switch as well, not just the Switch 2. XREAL also notes that you can use the Neo on other handhelds like the Steam Deck, although it's a bit less necessary there, as the Steam Deck can output video to XREAL glasses directly.
In a confusing move, the Neo also has a magnetic ring to attach directly to your device, but it can't charge wirelessly. It seems the magnet is more there for easy storage, and so you can use a flip-out kickstand on the back of the Neo to prop your device up.
Using the Neo with the Switch 2, it worked like a dream. The console immediately swapped over to docked mode and started playing on a connected pair of XREAL glasses like it was on a television, which gave me a virtual 171-inch screen and graphics outputting at 1200p. Oh, and those graphics? They were in 3D.
The XREAL 1S converts 2D video to 3D
That's because, alongside the Neo, I got to test out the new XREAL 1S AR glasses. These bump the resolution up to 1200p, and increase the FOV from the base XREAL One's 50 degrees to 52 degrees. Refresh rate is still 120Hz, but the glasses are brighter (at 700 nits) and the aspect ratio is larger, at 16:10. Most importantly, these come with the ability to add 3D depth to 2D imagery out of the box.
I tried it out with Mario Kart World, and if you told me the game was designed with this 3D natively, I would have believed you. It was flawless, just the right amount of subtle, and I never saw any telltale blur around the characters. According to XREAL, though, the 2D-to-3D conversion is happening entirely within the glasses using the onboard spatial chip and AI.
This has the benefit of working with any content you plug into the XREAL 1S, although XREAL did warn me the effect might not come across as well for flat content as opposed to content using CGI. For instance, the AI just didn't know what to do with the original Super Mario Bros. for NES, leading to some elements getting depth and others being ignored.
Still, you can turn the effect off in those cases, and I could see it being really handy if you're a big fan of 3D movies, since it can be kind of hard to find them on streaming. Now, you can turn any movie 3D, even if your mileage may vary from flick to flick.
The best part of the XREAL 1S, though? Despite the upgrades, they're actually cheaper than the base XREAL ONE, at $449 vs. $499. And they're available now, with estimated delivery windows sitting around this weekend. Plus, if you don't want to get a new pair of AR glasses, the 2D-to-3D conversion tech, called Real 3D, is also now out for the XREAL ONE Pro, and can be downloaded in an update.
The XREAL NEO, meanwhile, is currently only up for pre-order, with shipments scheduled to start in February. The Neo is available for $99 until February 4, by the way, but the price will jump up to $119 after that.
Even with the cheaper NEO pricing, the total package for both the dock and the glasses will cost you $548. But if you really miss the 3DS, this is another easy way to play your Nintendo games in 3D, without sacrificing portably, but while keeping a big screen at the same time.
from Lifehacker https://ift.tt/8WgDvrG
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