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My favorite XR glasses for productivity and traveling just got 3 major upgrades
ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Viture Pro XR glasses are available now for $459 in black.
- The display is larger, brighter, and smoother with the same form factor, fit, and excellent construction.
- An additional accessory is needed for devices without USB-C and multiple pieces are required for gaming.
After buying the Viture One XR glasses a few months ago, they have served as my airplane travel companion, commuting partner, laptop multi-display accessory, and mobile entertainment display with daily use. I've been thoroughly impressed with their simplicity, yet power to improve my productivity and joy of media.
Also: Why I returned my Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 for these XR glasses
Viture just announced its latest flagship product, the Viture Pro XR glasses, and I have been testing them for a couple of weeks. The glasses launch at $459 on Amazon, just $20 more than the Viture One launch price. The Viture One exceeded all my expectations, so I wasn't sure what Viture could do to improve these glasses. But after a couple of weeks with the Viture Pro, I now understand how a company can make a great product nearly perfect.
View at AmazonOne small aspect that bugs me about the Viture One glasses is using the two left-side buttons to change brightness or volume because I never know which mode is enabled. Viture even addressed this issue in the Viture Pro glasses with a new on-screen display showing your enabled mode.
The Viture One provided a virtual 120-inch display experience and now the Viture Pro bumps that up to 135 inches at three meters away. This change results in a 10% larger display experience that helps alleviate edge blurriness that some people noticed in the Viture One glasses. I can see the full display when using the Viture Pro glasses. The experience is fantastic.
Also: Why I returned my Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest 3 for these XR glasses
The refresh rate has also been improved from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. The performance boost is generally visible when it comes to gaming. My daughter loves my Viture Pro headset for Nintendo Switch gaming and prefers playing games with the glasses over any other experience. Smoother gaming and movies are now possible with the Viture Pro glasses.
The most obvious improvement in the Viture Pro glasses is the increased brightness. The micro LED display now shines up to 4000 nits whereas the Viture One provided up to 1800 nits. The improvement from this 120% increase in brightness is clear. I didn't know what I was missing until I used the Viture Pro glasses.
You can also rest easy knowing the glasses have SGA A+ low-eye fatigue certification. I've viewed content through the new device for hours with no fatigue. I also love the integrated myopia dials that let me enjoy the glasses even when not wearing my contacts. This feature is essential for long flights where contacts and airplane ventilation bother my eyes.
I purchased the lens shade for the Viture One glasses primarily for my commute to keep the light out of the front of the glasses. Thankfully, this accessory is no longer needed with the Viture Pro since the company has improved the electrochromic film that blocks out light from the front of the glasses. You may still want to use a shade to protect the front of the glasses, and Viture has some creative options available.
The fact that you no longer need a shade to block out light is fantastic for airline travel because I will no longer need to remove the glasses or cover to talk with flight attendants. You can press the button on the left to toggle the light-blocking function on or off. Viture states that 99.9% of light is blocked and I can attest that this is a true statement and a huge improvement.
Also: Apple Vision Pro review: Fascinating, flawed, and needs to fix 5 things
While I usually use earbuds with the Viture XR glasses to enjoy noise cancellation, the audio output from the Viture Pro glasses is solid thanks to its partnership with Harman. Audio plays from the sideframes down to your ears. People next to you can barely hear the content audio playing from your glasses. It is also nice to have your ears open in some situations while enjoying good audio directly from the glasses.
The SpaceWalker application -- which allows users to access multi-screen functionality -- continues to be an essential piece of software on my MacBook Pro. A Windows version of the application is coming soon, too. Having up to three virtual displays on my laptop with a simple USB-C connection makes the Viture Pro glasses an accessory that all companies should consider issuing to staff working off laptops for improved productivity and increased privacy. Trackpad mode is now also available in SpaceWalker for iPhone.
Along with the Viture Pro XR glasses, Viture has also released a new Viture Pro Mobile Dock that supports 3D content, such as games, iPhone spatial video, and 3D movies. You and your family and friends can enjoy this content with two XR glasses slots on the Pro Mobile Dock. The Pro Mobile Dock offers longer battery life with the same 13,000 mAh battery capacity. I also tried out the Mobile Dock mount that connects the Viture Mobile Dock Pro to a Nintendo Switch, which means the two devices are not just connected via the small USB-C cable.
Also: MIT Reality Hack revealed the momentum building in VR, AR, and XR
Lastly, Viture announced a new limited-edition controller in partnership with 8BitDo. You can connect this new controller, with a classic XBox-style controller layout, via Bluetooth to your gaming device, including the Nintendo Switch. The smokey translucent design looks cool and matches the Viture ecosystem. The 8BitDo controller also serves as a companion to the Viture Neckband, but I have yet to try out the Neckband, so I cannot share my experiences with that accessory.
ZDNET's buying advice
The Viture Pro XR glasses provide several improvements over the Viture One, making the Viture Pro the best XR glasses available today. Viture provides a few other accessories, but if you own a phone or computer with USB-C, the Viture Pro glasses are all you need to enjoy a stunning big-screen experience with an easily portable accessory. Viture also protects your glasses with a rigid zippered carrying case that holds the glasses and USB-C cable.