Google and XREAL are doubling down on their Android XR partnership

CES is in full swing and extended reality (XR) device maker XREAL has been busy. Yesterday, the company pulled the covers off its latest pair of XR glasses, the ROG XREAL R1. Today, the firm has another announcement that involves its future with Google.

You may recall that Google tapped XREAL to help with creating an Android XR product, of which Project Aura is the result. My colleague C. Scott Brown was able to get some hands-on time with the device last month. According to a new press release, the two companies are interested in continuing this partnership for the long term.

In that press release, XREAL states:

Google and XREAL today announced a multi-year extension of their strategic partnership, with XREAL as a lead hardware partner for the Android XR ecosystem.

 

Building on the foundation of Project Aura, coming in 2026, this deepened collaboration aligns XREAL’s long-term hardware roadmap with the Android XR platform. The companies will collaborate on bringing Android XR to optical-see-through devices, like wired XR glasses, and work to expand support for Android XR development.

In addition to the extended partnership, there are a couple of notable takeaways from this statement. First, the company mentions that it will take on the role of “lead hardware partner for the Android XR ecosystem.” It also appears to have plans beyond Project Aura, which will involve “optical-see-through devices,” including wired XR glasses.