Gaming or working productively as if you were right in the middle of the action. The recently introduced ASUS AirVision M1 smart glasses are designed to make this possible. Thanks to high-resolution micro OLED displays, virtual 100-inch displays can be realized with a brightness of up to 1,00 cd/m². It all sounds very appealing, so we took a closer look at the smart glasses in our test.
Technical data
| The product | AirVision M1 |
| Technology | Micro-OLED |
| resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 pixels per eye |
| Brightness | 1,100 nits |
| Refresh rate | 72 Hz |
| Transparency | 60 percent |
| Connection port | USB-C |
| Compatibility | Laptop; Smartphone; Gaming handheld |
| weight | 87 grams |
| Integrated speakers | Yes |
| Price | € 788.85 * (RRP: 799 Euro) |
ASUS AirVision M1 review: design and hardware
- classic, stylish design
- Disappointing plastic workmanship
- 87 grams light
The ASUS AirVision M1 is visually reminiscent of many other smart glasses. Large round lenses, wide temples and a simple black design. The fact that the glasses are made of plastic, which is also quite susceptible to grease and fingerprints, seems a little bland due to the high price. The competition, which is sometimes even cheaper, feels noticeably more valuable here. The workmanship is okay, but in my opinion does not do justice to the high price.
There are speakers in the earpiece and a touchpad on the outer left-hand side, which can be used to access various functions or call up a quick menu. There is a USB-C port at the back to connect the smart glasses to a laptop, gaming handheld or smartphone.
Behind the lenses are the two rather thick micro OLED displays, which achieve a brightness of up to 1,100 nits and generate a screen measuring up to 100 inches with a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels per eye. With two interchangeable nose pads, the smart glasses can be ideally adapted to your own nose. They are very comfortable to wear thanks to their low weight of just 87 grams.
The scope of delivery also includes a light shield to further block out the surroundings. This is because the ASUS AirVision M1 only darkens up to 60 percent – so you will always see something of your surroundings. There is also a microfiber cloth, which you will use frequently.
ASUS has also thought about people who wear glasses: a prescription lens that can be inserted and adjusted by an optician is also included.
Setup and operation
- Quick and easy to set up
- Compatible with smartphones, laptops and handhelds
Setting up the ASUS AirVision M1 is very easy. Simply connect the USB-C cable to a compatible smartphone, laptop or gaming handheld and you’re ready to go – desktop PCs and Mac devices are not included.
The companion app (ASUS_AirVision), which is required to use the smart glasses, is downloaded directly to the laptop. On a smartphone or handheld device, the image is output directly and without an app, so you can get started straight away and the display appears before your eyes.
The Windows app is intuitive and guides you through the most important functions after an initial setup. It also explains the touch controls, which are very simple and work very well in practice.
If you hold down the touch surface, you can adjust the brightness or volume. A tap with two fingers switches to transparent mode, which lets the surroundings through, a tap with one finger centers the image or switches to an off-centered image.
ASUS AirVision M1: Practical test and image quality
- Various modes with virtual displays
- Highly customizable picture
- convincing brightness
… (motion sickness) …
The companion app lets you make adjustments for different scenarios in three different modes and two additional custom settings. In productivity mode, three virtual displays are created – your dedicated display in the center with two virtual ones next to it.
In gaming mode, you can set whether you want to play in 21:9, 32:9 or 48:9 format or opt for a classic 16:9 image. The ultrawide formats are of course particularly exciting for racing games and the like. The Infinity mode, on the other hand, lets you create a whole range of virtual displays, while in the custom modes you can adjust the number of screens, their position and size yourself.
You can also use the settings to choose between different picture modes such as Standard, Cinema, Office, Gaming or Eye Protection, adjust the brightness and set the distance to the real screen. The latter is important as it can also be used to adjust the size of the virtual displays.
It is advisable to play around with the options for the first time to achieve the perfect image. The interpupillary distance (IPD), which can be adjusted between 53.5 mm and 74.7 mm, also plays a decisive role in sharpness and image quality.
Despite all these setting options, I was unfortunately never able to achieve an absolutely crisp image during the test. Particularly in static menus or when working productively, there is always a certain amount of blurring.
In gaming menus or when working with Word documents, websites and Excel spreadsheets, you have to look closely and squint your eyes to really be able to read small texts. If the glasses are only at a slight angle and the pupil distance is not set correctly, you will see the image even more blurred and possibly even double.
The same applies to use with a smartphone, where hardly any settings are possible due to the lack of an app. On the iPhone 15 Pro, only the brightness can be adjusted via the quick menu.
Practical test
- Lack of sharpness (especially for text)
- only 72 Hz
- no dimming; 60 percent dimming
In games, especially when things get faster, this blurring is hardly noticeable. However, the maximum refresh rate of 72 Hz is – considering the price, 120 Hz would have been desirable. Nevertheless, the ASUS AirVision M1 really comes into its own in gaming and provides excellent immersion.
However, the smart glasses did not convince me when it came to productive work. The reason is very simple: as you can only see one of the screens in front of your eyes at a time, you have to constantly move your head to switch from display to display. These movements cause the image to shake and wobble, which has a corresponding effect on sharpness.
The option would be single-screen mode, in which you can only see one of the screens. There is no shaking here, but you always have to press the touch surface to switch to another screen.
Another weak point in my opinion is the lack of electrochromic dimming, which many competitors such as the XREAL Air 2 pro can do. This darkens the surroundings when wearing the glasses so that you can concentrate better on the virtual screens. Unfortunately, the AirVision M1 cannot do this at all – so you can always see a large part of your surroundings.
In addition, the built-in speakers are absolutely disappointing in my eyes, the acoustics are too quiet and weak. So you should definitely wear earbuds when using it. Thanks to the integrated microphones, you can also communicate with the smart glasses on. The quality is sufficient for occasional meetings or calls.
ASUS AirVision M1 test: Conclusion
The ASUS AirVision M1 leaves me somewhat disillusioned after the test. While the smart glasses basically work quite well, the price is absolutely not justified in my eyes. There are also a few problems, as I was never able to achieve a perfectly sharp image – no matter how much I readjusted and adjusted.
This is particularly annoying when viewing text and significantly spoils the experience. Apart from the fact that this constant blurring quickly made me feel sick. But that is of course purely subjective.
A maximum frame rate of 72 Hz and a lack of electrochromic dimming further tarnish the impression, while many (sometimes cheaper) competitors deliver significantly more here. In my opinion, the build quality also does not do justice to the price, which makes it difficult to recommend the ASUS AirVision M1 at the current time and price. It’s better to go for competitors like the Xreal One and other alternatives.
- Excellent brightness
- Coherent scope of delivery
- High wearing comfort
- Far too expensive
- Disappointing processing
- Focus problems
- No electrochromic dimming
- 72 Hz
ASUS AirVision M1
Design and Workmanship
Features
Picture quality
Ease of use
Value For Money
79/100
Problems with the focus and a lack of features at too high a price currently make it difficult to recommend the ASUS AirVision M1.
