The market is flooded with smart glasses these days, particularly display models that function as portable monitors worn on the face. Xreal produces several such options. Their latest collaboration with Asus, the ROG Xreal R1, hits shelves beginning in June. These stand out with a superior refresh rate unmatched by other display glasses, though that comes at a steep cost.

I tested the ROG Xreal R1 back in January, finding them to sport a distinctive glowing gamer aesthetic while essentially offering refined enhancements over the Xreal One Pro, complete with a versatile console-switching dock. The standout element is the 240Hz refresh rate on micro-OLED panels, surpassing the typical 120Hz found in competitors.

To unlock that high refresh rate, the glasses must connect to the ROG Control Dock, equipped with dual HDMI 2.0 ports and DisplayPort 1.4. This setup allows seamless switching between a PC and various game consoles without removing the eyewear.

Among my top picks for display glasses, the Viture Beast edges out with higher resolution at 1,920 by 1,200 versus the ROG's 1,920 by 1,080, plus greater brightness exceeding these 700-nit units. Priced at $549 without a dock, they undercut the ROG bundle. The Xreal One Pro retails for $599 and shares many traits, implying the dock adds about $250 to the total. Both feature comparable Bose audio, head-tracking virtual screen pinning, dimmable electrochromic lenses, and the anti-glare flattened inner lenses of the One Pro series.

A higher resolution or wider field of view would elevate the ROG Xreal R1 further - its 57-degree view matches the Xreal One Pro. More advanced options loom: Xreal's Project Aura, integrated into a mixed reality system developed with Google and slated for later this year, promises a 70-degree field at a yet-to-be-revealed price.

Given current economic pressures, this package proves a tough pitch. Still, for those craving 240Hz in display glasses, the ROG Xreal R1 delivers the dream.