TCL NXTWEAR S Review: Affordable, Compact Portable XR Display

You'll need the app and a supported device to make full use of it, but in the right situation, it's an innovative way to get a large AR display.

With so much media at our fingertips, the challenge can be displaying it when and how we need it. The affordable TCL NXTWEAR S offers a glimpse into the future of "extended reality". But it's not without its flaws, so does the TCL NXTWEAR S offer the essentials for a budget price point, or would you be better served saving up instead?

For those looking for a portable XR display, the NXTWEAR S ticks many of the essential boxes. With dual HD micro OLED displays built-in, the option to view in both 2D and 3D and swap at the push of a button provides a well-rounded experience. The wide field of view allows for a 130" screen at 4 meters for a full cinematic effect.On both a privacy and immersion front, the dual built-in speakers feature phase cancelation tech that significantly reduces sound leakage. And to handle a variety of scenarios, the NXTWEAR S features a detachable magnetic lens shade to provide both privacy and inclusion via its project display overlaid on your everyday vision.Its portability is further supported by the easily foldable design that fits typical carrying cases, and for supported devices,m you'll only need a single USB-C cable.

Out of the box, the NXTWEAR S includes a simple selection of essentials to help get you started with its smart glasses. After opening the carrying case to expose the glasses, there's a few items to fish around for. Beyond the pogo pin magnetic cable, you'll want to grab the glasses cleaning cloth, detachable nose pads, and the magnetic myopia glasses frame for those needing some visual adjustment.

As the NXTWEAR S requires power and video to be delivered over a single USB-C cable, it's worth considering TCL's portable adaptor and battery as an immediate secondary purchase. This small box allows you to use device mirroring even if your device doesn't support USB-C DisplayPort.

The NXTWEAR S features dual Sony micro OLED displays offering a 49 PPD (pixels-per-degree) resolution, with a 108% sRGB color gamut. Depending on whether you're operating in its 2D space or augmented 3D space, you'll see either a resolution of 1920 x 1080 for 2D or 3840 x 1080 in its 3D mode.

In terms of screen size, the field of view (FOV) of 45 degrees provides the equivalent of a 130" screen at four meters or 201" at six meters. This is about average for XR glasses, but if you're not interested in the AR functionality and just want a fixed personal cinema display, the Goovis G3 Max (reviewed here) offers a much larger 65-degree field of view.

In addition, the NXTWEAR S has passed several eye safety certifications including low blue light, flicker-free, and eye comfort. Even so, it's advisable to give your eyes periodic breaks and to focus on something else to avoid discomfort from prolonged usage.

For privacy and better visuals, the NXTWEAR S features a detachable magnetic lens shade (to partially black out your vision of the outside world), alongside a unique whisper mode for its on-device dual speakers. This allows for limited sound leakage via its acoustic phase cancellation technology.

At the bottom of each of the device's legs, TCL has opted to include a control on each side. A scroll wheel controls the volume whereas a display controller button allows you to flick it to adjust brightness, or hold it for two seconds to swap between a 2D and 3D display.

Once in hand, the unfolded state of the NXTWEAR S measures out at around 6.89 x 6.5 x 2 inches (175 x 166 x 51mm), and folds down to 2.2 x 6 x 2 inches (56 x 154 x 51mm), allowing for easy transport inside its carrying case.

While the glasses are made with skin-friendly materials, the adjustable nose pads also allow for a more comfortable grip and fit to your face. But you'll want to take some additional time to ensure it's properly fitted to your nose.

As the NXTWEAR S opts for a simple smart glasses design versus a full or partial headgear, it only weighs a mere ~0.2 pounds (89g), so you'll not overtly notice any fatigue induced by its weight.

While the NXTWEAR S tries to focus on ergonomics to improve its wearing experience, there are a few other things to consider. Both the main lenses and the detachable anti-glare magnetic cover, are quite fingerprint-prone, so you'll want to keep a lens-cleaning cloth on hand. Similarly, the glasses produce a fair amount of heat when running continuously for longer periods, so you'll need to be fine with some heat at your nose during extended usage.

Additionally, those with long hair will need to be extra mindful when using the glasses if you don't want to tie your hair back. While it's quite possible to accidentally tuck your hair into a joint on the glasses, you're much more likely to lose some hair when attaching the magnetic pogo pin connector. This is annoying, especially since there's an occasional glitch where you'll need to reconnect the glasses via their cabling to reset the speakers.

Since the glasses are easy to lift off or rest atop your head, more sensitive viewers can easily remove them from their eyes, much like regular sunglasses. Alternatively, it's quite easy to rest your eyes by looking downward from the glasses, so you're free to extend sessions as needed by focusing your eyes elsewhere.

With the NXTWEAR S, compatibility centers around possessing a USB-C device with DP (DisplayPort) functionality. A newer device doesn't ensure this feature (such as the Google Pixel handsets), so you'll want to check first or make use of the TCL portable adapter.

To see how this played out, I tried a variety of mobile devices with the NXTWEAR S glasses.

With a Google Pixel 6 Pro, the NXTWEAR S glasses would only connect when accompanied by the portable adapter accessory and a generically-named Mirroring app. But with this method, you're unable to access mobile AR functionality via the TCL AR app, and will be limited to screen mirroring only.

Comparatively weaker spec models with USB-C DP such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active did connect; but a flawed connection to the TCL AR app resulted in frequent glitching or disconnects.

However, testing with newer models like the Samsung Galaxy S10 worked (mostly) flawlessly.

If you're using a USB-C device with DP support, just the glasses and USB-C cable are needed. For an iPhone or Android device without USB-C DP, you'll need to use the portable adapter. And if you're looking to connect the NXTWEAR S to consoles like the Nintendo Switch, you'll need to use the full dock as well as an appropriate HDMI to USB-C adapter (not supplied).

One of the largest benefits of the TCL NXTWEAR S comes in its portability. While its carrying case can quite easily carry most of the essential items, I typically included a small cord pouch depending on what accessories I needed.

Once the initial setup and permissions are granted, it's a very seamless experience to just plug in and start displaying to the glasses while on the go.

For those after a more private and immersive experience, the NXTWEAR S offers a compelling use case. While you can find the likes of privacy modes or apps for phones, complete protection of your screen from onlookers is an entirely different matter. With the shades affixed and the glasses' whisper mode for near-undetectable audio, a private viewing is easily within reach.

So if you do find yourself traveling quite frequently, the NXTWEAR S can provide some extra peace of mind.

For the true TCL "AR" app experience, you'll need to grant a few access permissions. But this app allows for easy adjustment of your viewing display without having to reach up to the glasses themselves to tweak anything. The app screen itself looks quite bare bones with your phone screen largely working as a touchpad for the AR display on the glasses.

In terms of the AR display that's seen within the glasses, it's a bit basic still at this stage. You're free to see some panoramic content, browse potential streaming services, and view the space for the TCL AR Browser. There are also a few items you wouldn't normally see, like a listing of today's current usage time and the option to fine-tune head sensitivity.

It's not a must-have experience, nor would we really call it Augmented Reality given the lack of room-scanning capabilities on the device itself, though it is equipped with 3DOF sensors. We'd like to see these capabilities developed further with frequent updates, but you shouldn't buy this thinking you're getting a cheaper alternative to Apple's Vision Pro.

Compared to the TCL AR app, the TCL NXTWEAR Mirror Studio software (for PC-only) feels a little more developed. At launch, there's a clear indicator noting whether your glasses have connected. Additionally, there's a much more direct walk-through after you click the question mark icon within the software.

For newcomers, this provides a quick recommended system spec listing alongside a basic walkthrough of the AR experience that's delivered here.

While you can open up to ten virtual windows in the AR space, you'll want to ensure your connected device is appropriately powered for it. The software can occasionally glitch out if you swap between the 2D and 3D modes while it's active. However, this is easy to resolved by unplugging the glasses when this happens.

Functionally, the bottom toolbar of the AR dock area contains a brightness adjustment setting, sorting option, position adjustment, flat surface window option, curved surface window option, and exit button. When first experimenting, the videos included within the software give a good idea of how to best utilize the features. However, most options can be figured out with some simple clicks, so you can innately feel it out as required.

For those looking to explore more portable displays for their consoles, the TCL NXTWEAR S can do so with an appropriate HDMI adapter.

Unfortunately, this will still require access to its dock for the Nintendo Switch, as it doesn't support video out on the USB-C port. So if you're looking to explore beyond smartphone gaming, it does require a bit more cord connectivity to make it work while also providing power to the display.

Once the initial setup is done, the 60Hz refresh rate does a respectable job while gaming on appropriate titles. Similarly, the option to create an expansive display screen can easily rival the likes of short-throw projectors at an adequate distance. The 400 nits of brightness also allow you to see your display fine even in sunlight, albeit with better results when the anti-glare lenses are attached.

Overall, the NXTWEAR S opens up more options; it may ultimately be preferred more by those who prefer mobile gaming. The portability and more on-demand large screen there can work excellently, especially for more demanding, fast-paced titles.

For all of its features, it can carve out a variety of unique niche use cases. If you frequently travel, you may highly value the portable large screen that can fit inside a small carrying case. Similarly, those wanting more privacy may value the isolated viewing experience it brings.

But ultimately, what devices you intend to use the NXTWEAR S can prove your biggest determining factor. If your main use case involves something that supports USB-C Mode, it's an easier recommendation for those on a budget. If you need to purchase the display adaptor box just to get basic mirroring features from an unsupported device, it's more hassle, more cost, and less compelling.

Overall, the NXTWEAR S's entry into extended reality and large display viewing can provide a lot; you just need to make sure it matches your needs.

James is a Senior Writer for MakeUseOf and a lover of words. After completing his B.A. in English in 2010, he entered into freelance writing and practiced tech application and online learning in public education. After personalizing tech for student and staff needs for nine years, he's gone forward and used the experience to better explain online entertainment, creative applications of tech, and hardware across a variety of everyday and specialized uses.