VR & AR Augmented Reality Best of AWE 2026: 7 top gadgets that show us the future of XR News By Jason England Contributions from Scott Younker published 19 June 2026 Our pick of the best gadgets at this year’s Augmented World Expo! When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works . (Image credit: Future) Jump To: Best of show Best chip Best AR glasses Best AR accessory Best VR accessory Best innovation Best budget AR glasses Copy link Facebook X Reddit Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Augmented World Expo (AWE) has evolved rapidly into one of the biggest shows for seeing the future of virtual reality, smart glasses and spatial computing. This year’s edition gave us some truly showstopping news with earth-shaking announcements from Snap, Qualcomm and many more. It really feels like we’re getting to the point where the lines of VR headset and smart glasses are starting to blur into one device that gives you all the performance of a big set of goggles — crammed into something the size of specs. And while there were some key headline announcements, that key DNA of small innovations that will change the face of spatial computing in the future remained strong underneath. We were able to go hands-and face-on with several products here, and now it’s time to pick the cream of the crop. Here are our picks for best of AWE 2026. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Best of show: Snap Specs (Image credit: Future) Snap’s iPhone moment is here. The Snap Specs are official, and they’re far beyond any other standalone glasses you’ve seen in terms of capability. This is what happens when you combine the tech of the best VR headsets with the portability of the best smart glasses. The end result is more than just a technologically advanced set of frames, but rather a new paradigm in computing — moving it away from being a tool that takes you out of the world to a form that gets out of the way. They’re a bit chunky, but the design around this hefty tech makes them look kinda stylish! You may like I’m going to AWE 2026 and here’s 3 things I’m hoping to see — from Snap Specs to a new Snapdragon XR chip I’ve worn smart glasses for over 5 years — here’s the best AR and AI glasses in 2026 Best of Computex 2026: The 17 greatest gadgets from the world’s largest computing show They’ve worked with developers for years with prototype hardware, and with over 5 million lenses ready to use from measuring things in free space to augmented guides on complex real-world tasks like fixing a car, and much more. Will Specs stick the landing? That’s the ultimate question of these $2,195/£1,995 glasses. That’s a high price to pay — making them much more targeted towards the early adopters in this space. Time will tell what happens in the future of these glasses, but we did genuinely just witness a breakthrough moment in AR. Tom’s Guide: Direct to Your Inbox Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Jason England Best chip: Snapdragon Reality Elite (Image credit: Future) Snapdragon Reality Elite is the high-end follow-up to the XR Gen 2 that powers the Galaxy XR headset. It comes with upgrades in performance and efficiency, powering the Xreal Aura compute puck. In several eyes-on demos with the Xreal Aura, I’ve been impressed with the performance of the glasses and the processor. The glasses are responsive and quick, and I’m not saying it’s the only thing that enables the Auras to connect to the Switch 2 , but we played latency-free Breath of the Wild and the chip certainly helped make that happen. What to read next Snapdragon Reality
Sumber: Tom’s Guide