Overview - CES2026
There is an exciting slate of "XR" glasses coming in 2026. This is a brief overview of my visit to CES 2026 Las Vegas. XR glasses are now a confusing category. AI != XR**. XR glasses now represent three different possible categories:
- HUD glasses
- Wearable Display
- Spatial computing glasses
At CES 2026 there were disappointingly not a lot of true Spatial computing glasses yet. The true Spatial Computing glasses are coming in October 2026 or later. There were a lot of HUD glasses. HUDs are short for Heads Up Display, similar to what you might see in a tank or jet fighter helmet. Generally HUD glasses will support some AI features through a tethered phone. Wearable displays are an existing category for a number of years. These take the place of using an external monitor, or augment an external monitor. These keep getting better and better, and cost is coming down. Generally this category will use a tethered "hdmi hub/battery" to extend life and make connection easy.
2026年には、魅力的な「XR」グラスが多数登場する予定です。これは、ラスベガスで開催されたCES 2026への私の訪問に関する簡単な概要です。XRグラスは現在、非常に複雑なカテゴリーとなっています。AI ≠ XR**。XRグラスは現在、以下の3つの異なるカテゴリーに分類できます。
- HUDグラス
- ウェアラブルディスプレイ
- 空間コンピューティンググラス
CES 2026では、残念ながら真の空間コンピューティンググラスはまだ多く見られませんでした。真の空間コンピューティンググラスは2026年10月以降に登場する予定です。HUDグラスは多数展示されていました。HUDとはヘッドアップディスプレイの略で、戦車や戦闘機のヘルメットに搭載されているようなものです。一般的に、HUDグラスは接続されたスマートフォンを介して一部のAI機能をサポートします。ウェアラブルディスプレイは、数年前から存在するカテゴリーです。これらは外部モニターの代わりに使用したり、外部モニターを補完したりするものです。これらの製品はますます性能が向上し、価格も下がってきています。一般的に、このカテゴリーの製品は、バッテリー寿命を延ばし、接続を容易にするために、接続された「HDMIハブ/バッテリー」を使用します。
Vendors Seen
XReal
XReal was showing their XReal 1S platform. It is a great display. I recommend this for anyone who needs an external display for their face. Best category for use is home gaming (so you don't tie up the TV). Works out of the box with Switch 2. I personally use XReal for long flights. Perfect compromise of comfort and performance.
They were not showing the project Aura publicly and wouldn't comment on it. This is the Android XR device slated for October 2026 (https://www.ces.tech/ces-innovation-awards/2026/xreal-project-aura/). It may or may not ship on time as it is already later than previously expected. Google does not have another glasses partner set up.
P&C Solution
This is a korean company I believe, details: https://vr-compare.com/headset/p%26csolutionmetalense
This is one of the few real spatial computing devices that was not in a full VR headset form factor. It is a lightweight device. They claim it is aspiring to be a Hololens. I think they have a unity SDK.
Birdilens
This is a very focused solution for Golf. XR glasses for golf. Lots of interest. Depending on how good their solution integrates things like range finding or maybe ball tracking, this is cool, or a waste of money.
RayNeo
This is a TCL brand. These are very much a HUD solution with a bunch of AI features built in. I think this is a good device but not for spatial compute and I don't know the SDK story.
Rokid
So aside from XReal, the category for external wearable display has a good competitor with Rokid. They are a bit more open than XReal, but I hear the build of XReal is better.
EvenRealities
So this is a HUD device, but it has some ability to do limited graphics in the display. As a "retro" aesthetic it is a charming design. If they open their SDK and enable developers, which they say they will, this is a sure modest winner. What I like: great team, clever design using BLE ring as a control option, and clever app design.
Other devices
Can't really make out the manufacturer name, but this is a typical design I saw repated on the floor. A headset with a tethered power supply and some kind of compute built in.
References
- https://hiverlab.com/zdnet-ces-2026-smart-glasses-roundup/
- https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/smart-glasses/the-best-smart-glasses-of-ces-2026-so-far
- https://www.pcmag.com/news/your-eyes-will-thank-you-5-must-see-smart-glasses-ces-2026-future-bright
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ces-2026-year-xr-stops-meaning-headsets-starts-glasses-streaming-eenwf/
- Vendors: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1p2KgnD3UI4qH8G3q0rD_hbdEfq480B-j/edit?gid=1141759195#gid=1141759195
CES2027
If you have plans to visit CES from Japan and are interested, feel free to contact me directly. I will be organizing a small group to visit the show. It is a large show. My team can help with logistics, and support getting meetings in advance depending on the industry. We also guide you through the show, as it can take effort to know how to find the things that are most interesting. Real planning to visit CES begins about 6 months before, so summer usually you should be booking plans to visit. We focus on startups. If you have interesting in showing at CES I am happy to put you in touch with agencies that support startups going from Japan -> Las Vegas for this event.
日本からCESへのご参加をご検討中で、ご興味のある方は、お気軽にご連絡ください。私が少人数のグループを編成して、展示会を視察する予定です。CESは非常に大規模な展示会です。私のチームが、ロジスティクス面でのサポートや、業界によっては事前のアポイントメント取得のお手伝いをいたします。また、会場内を効率的に回るためのガイドも提供いたします。CESへの訪問計画は、通常6ヶ月前から始めるのが一般的ですので、夏頃には渡航計画を立て始めることをお勧めします。私たちはスタートアップに焦点を当てています。もしCESへの出展にご興味があれば、日本からラスベガスへの出展をサポートするエージェンシーをご紹介することも可能です。
** Meta makes AI glasses. I will not cover AI glasses in this discussion.