In Augmented Reality News
May 21, 2025 – XREAL, a provider of consumer augmented reality (AR) glasses, has this week announced Project Aura, an optical see-through XR device built for Android XR, as part of a strategic partnership with Google. The announcement was made during Google I/O, the company’s annual developer conference.
Project Aura is the second official device for the Android XR platform and the first to feature an optical see-through (OST) design. It is a lightweight, tethered headset powered by Gemini AI and built to deliver a wide field of view and cinematic visuals for spatial computing.
“At XREAL, we’ve always pushed the boundaries of what XR hardware can do — combining performance, comfort, and design into something people can wear every day,” said Chi Xu, Co-founder and CEO of XREAL. “Partnering with Google on Android XR takes this vision to the next level. Project Aura reflects the power of this collaboration — merging a robust platform with advanced chipsets and our expertise in optical systems. We believe this is a breakthrough moment for real-world XR.”
XREAL stated that the collaboration with Google also includes Qualcomm Technologies, combining Android XR software, Snapdragon XR chipsets, and XREAL’s optical hardware expertise to support the growth of immersive, wearable computing, and to help build “the next wave of XR experiences.”
Commenting on the announcement, Shahram Izadi, VP and GM of XR at Google, said: “Google is thrilled to welcome XREAL to the Android XR family. By combining our platform with XREAL’s leadership in portable XR hardware, we’re expanding spatial experiences to OST form-factors that are intuitive and accessible.”
Qualcomm also highlighted the role of Snapdragon processors in the device: “This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the expansion of the Android XR ecosystem,” said Ziad Asghar, SVP and GM of XR at Qualcomm Technologies. “Working with XREAL, Snapdragon allows amazing immersive experiences to come to life in a unique optical see-through product.”
The companies are encouraging developers to begin building new applications and use cases for the new device. XREAL also stated that those already developing for Android XR headsets will be able to bring their apps to Project Aura with ease.
Further details on Project Aura are expected at Augmented World Expo (AWE) in June 2025, and later this year, according to XREAL.
For more information, visit xreal.com/aura.
Image credit: XREAL
About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.