Xreal upgrades Nebula to bring spatial computing and spatial cinema to MacBooks

Xreal, formerly known as Nreal, said Nebula for Mac offers a flexible and enhanced AR experience, with up to three virtual displays that are spatially adjustable in terms of size, distance, and angle. This allows users to enjoy an entirely new level of flexible productivity wherever they are, with the ability to fix displays in position while enjoying the freedom of head movement, improving comfort and reducing neck pain.

Additionally, the spatial cinema mode in Nebula for Mac enables users to enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows from their hard drives on an adjustable, cinematic virtual display. Xreal spatial display technology further improves the cinematic experience by adding three degrees of freedom (3DoF), allowing users to move their head freely just like sitting in a movie theater while wearing a headset.

Nebula for Mac offers up to three virtual displays. The MacBook’s main display is mirrored and complemented by two extended displays, giving Mac users an entirely new level of flexible productivity, wherever they are. All virtual displays are spatially adjustable in terms of size (45 inch to 154 inch), distance (1.5m to 9m) and angle (90° to 180°). Spatial adjustment is simple and easy using either trackpad or mouse wheel, Xreal said.

“Wherever you are, at work or play, your MacBook just became one of the first computers to support enhanced AR and spatial computing. I believe that Xreal and Apple share the same vision of Spatial Computing and the enormous impact it will have on our lives,” said Peng Jin, cofounder at Xreal, in a statement. “We have worked hard for several years to develop products like Xreal Beam, products that bring us closer to making spatial computing a reality.”

Founded in 2017, Xreal has grown to be a leader in the design and manufacture of consumer AR glasses, with offices in the US, Japan, Korea, and China. The company has more than 500 employees and it pioneered several core innovations that are transforming the AR industry, including its proprietary optic technologies and uniquely consumer-friendly product designs. Xreal also offers software development kits (SDKs) to developers and maintains a vibrant developer community. The company has raised a lot of money to date.

MacBook users can now experience enhanced AR productivity and cinematic content delivery with Nebula for Mac. Xreal’s commitment to spatial computing and its partnership with Apple brings a new level of flexibility and productivity to MacBook users, Xreal said.

In spatial cinema mode, users will be able to use it as a spatial video player to enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows from their hard drives on a virtual display. Xreal Spatial Display technology further improves the cinematic experience by adding 3DoF, allowing users to move their heads freely just like sitting in a movie theater. Whether on a business trip, in a bustling coffee shop, or simply relaxing at home, spatial cinema gives MacBook users an unparalleled visual entertainment experience.

“Spatial cinema is part of an initiative at Xreal where employees are encouraged to express their creativity through building their own AR apps. These are not officially supported products from Xreal, but depending on market and community feedback, we may change our minds,” Jin said. “Moving forward, we will continue to share similar creative app projects from time to time with the community. The first out of the cage is Spatial Cinema. Compatible with Intel and Apple platforms, we encourage all MacBook users to give it a go, and share their feedback with us.”

According to analyst firm IDC, Xreal surpassed Microsoft and Magic Leap in global AR device shipments in 2022. Xreal partnered with electric vehicle company Nio to explore new use cases for in-car entertainment. And it expects shipments to reach 200,000 units globally soon.