AR glasses for MacBook: a big second screen that fits in your bag
Every current MacBook can run AR glasses over one USB-C cable. Here's the two-minute setup, the ultrawide and multi-screen tricks, and our picks.
Working from a tiny café table or an airplane tray? A MacBook and a pair of AR glasses give you a big second screen with almost nothing extra to carry. One USB-C cable does it. No stand, no monitor and no power brick for the glasses.
Does my MacBook work?
Almost certainly. VITURE lists every MacBook Air from 2018 on and every MacBook Pro from 2016 on. RayNeo names the same models for its Air 4 Pro. XREAL lists MacBook among the laptops that connect straight over USB-C.
The newest models make it easy. Apple says the MacBook Air with M5 has two Thunderbolt 4 ports that carry DisplayPort video. It can run two external displays while its own screen stays on, and your glasses count as one of them. It charges over MagSafe too, so both USB-C ports stay free.
One catch: some older MacBook Air models only run one external display. If yours already drives a monitor, unplug it before you try the glasses.
Glasses confirmed for MacBook
Every pair below is confirmed for MacBook by the company that makes it. The list is the same for the MacBook Pro.
| Glasses | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| XREAL One Pro | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| VITURE The Beast | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| XREAL 1S | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| XREAL xbx a01+ | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-01 |
| ROG XREAL R1 | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| VITURE Luma Ultra | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| VITURE Luma Pro | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| VITURE Luma | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| VITURE Pro 2 | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| RayNeo Air 4 Pro | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| RayNeo GT | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| RayNeo GT Max | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
| XREAL Aura | Works | Manufacturer documentation, 2026-11-02 |
On a desktop Mac? The Mac mini works too. You can check it in our checker.
Set it up in two minutes
- Plug your glasses into one of the USB-C ports.
- Open System Settings and go to Displays. Your glasses show up as a second display.
- Choose whether the glasses extend your desktop or mirror it. Extending gives you a true second screen.
- Drag a window over and get to work.
That's the whole setup for one plain second screen, and any pair on the list can do it. The fun starts when you want more room.
Want more room? Two ways to get it
Ultrawide with no app: XREAL One series
The XREAL One, One Pro and 1S have an UltraWide mode built in. Double-click the X button, open Spatial Screen, then pick UltraWide Mode. You can choose 21:9, 32:9 or a tall 16:18 view.
XREAL has two tips here. First, 21:9 works with more devices than 32:9. Second, set the glasses as an extended display. If they mirror your Mac, they copy your laptop's shape and the ultrawide view won't show.
Up to three screens: VITURE SpaceWalker
VITURE's SpaceWalker app for Mac puts several virtual screens around you. You can line up two or three side by side, stack three, go ultrawide, or try Code Mode, which puts a tall screen on each side of a wide one. The screens stay locked in place as you turn your head.
A few rules apply. The app needs macOS Ventura 13 or later. Since version 1.6.0, it no longer supports Intel Macs. The VITURE Beast gets fewer layouts: single, ultrawide, and two or three side by side. VITURE also warns that the app takes a lot of graphics power, so it's better for work than for games.
Our pick: XREAL 1S
For laptop work, the 1S hits the sweet spot. Its screens are 1920×1200, a 16:10 shape that's taller than a TV. That's extra room for documents and spreadsheets. Its 3DoF tracking runs on the glasses, so you can pin the screen in place without installing anything. UltraWide mode is one menu away.
It's a mid-range pair, so it costs less than the flagships. Need even more width? The XREAL One Pro has the same UltraWide mode with a wider 57° view, at a flagship price.
Skip it if you want three separate screens. That's SpaceWalker territory.
Compatibility checkerMacBook Air (M5) + XREAL 1SWorksBest for multitasking: VITURE Luma Pro
If you live in a dozen windows at once, the Luma Pro plus SpaceWalker is the setup to get. It runs at 1920×1200 too. VITURE says it has a built-in magnetometer to help cut drift, and SpaceWalker for Mac has a head tracking correction option tuned just for it.
Mildly nearsighted? Its dials correct up to -4.00, so you might not need inserts at all.
Skip it if you want tracking without an app. The Luma Pro's 3DoF runs in SpaceWalker, not on the glasses. Tempted by the cheaper Luma instead? Here's our Luma vs Luma Pro breakdown.
Budget pick: RayNeo Air 4 Pro
Just want one big screen for less? The Air 4 Pro does that well. It has no head tracking, so the screen stays fixed in the middle of your view. For a plain second monitor, that's fine.
It's bright, too, rated at up to 1,200 nits. And its HDR10 display worked on a MacBook in Android Authority's testing.
Skip it if you want ultrawide or multiple screens. Its screen is 1920×1080, the same shape as a TV. Our RayNeo Air 4 Pro vs XREAL 1S comparison shows what the extra money buys.
Tips for long work sessions
- Make the text bigger. In Displays settings, pick a larger text option for the glasses. Tiny text is the first thing to tire your eyes.
- Smooth the edges. On XREAL's One series, Text Optimization in the Display menu smooths jagged text.
- Turn the brightness down indoors. XREAL says lower brightness also helps with motion blur when you move your head.
- Plug in your Mac. Most of these glasses have no battery. They run off your laptop, so a long day drains it faster.
- Screen sliding away? Our XREAL screen drift fix walks you through it.
- Got a Windows laptop too? Here's how to get an ultrawide screen on Windows.
New to AR glasses? Start here for the five things to do first.