SpaceTop AR is now an expensive Windows application, not a useless screenless sub-laptop

When the SpaceTop AR laptop debuted a few years ago, it made a sensation: What if you could have a laptop that is used entirely through augmented reality glasses without its own built-in screen? Unfortunately, we found the Spacetop experience incredible and the hardware seemed to be a tough sell for $1,900. Last fall, the scene of SpaceTop creators told CNET It completely abandoned the on-screen laptop and focused on building AR software for Windows PCs. Now, we have a clearer feeling about the impact of our vision.

Now, after a brief trial in January, Sightful is officially launching SPACETOP for Intel-powered Windows AI PCs. For $899, you can get a pair of Xreal’s Air Ultra 2 glasses and a year’s SpaceTop software. After that, you have to pay a subscription of $200 a year. The software works just like the original SpaceTop concept – it gives you a 100-inch AR interface for all the productivity work – but now you don’t like the company’s intermediate keyboard and other hardware.

SPACETOP may be for AR fanatics who already own Intel AI PCs, such as the Surface Taptop Pro for Business for Business or Dell XPS machines with Core ultra 7 chips. However, if you don’t have one of these computers, you have to add it to the already expensive SpaceTop cost. And don’t forget the prescription lenses: These will give you $50 single view and $150 improvement.

SPACETOP does not support Intel chips without NPUs, because its AR interface requires constant AI processing. It also doesn’t work with AMD or Qualcomm’s AI CPUs. The company partnered with Intel to optimize SpaceTop for its platform, which includes helping to understand Intel’s NPU architecture and tweaking its chips to help AR software run better. In a conversation with Engadget, Vight CEO Tamir Berliner pointed out that if similar attention is drawn, the company may be more focused on other chip platforms.

As for Mac support, Berliner said in a statement to Engadget: “Yes, we plan to create a version of SpaceTop for Mac – the timing is still based on TBD with many different factors about laptops, silicon, computing power, glasses, and more.

Given its price and strict PC requirements, SpaceTop is clearly not targeting a wide audience. But early adopters have potential benefits. Its large AR screen makes multitasking easier without a large monitor, and because SpaceTop greatly simplifies the Windows 11 interface, it makes it easier to focus on your applications. There are also some obvious privacy benefits, as no one can see what you see in AR.

However, the biggest downside is that you have to get used to wearing the Xreal’s large Air 2 Ultra glasses. When we demonstrated at CES, we found it improved over the previous Xreal frameworks, thanks to their sharp 1080p Micro-Ol-old display and a wider field of view. The Air 2 Ultra is also striking with 6DOF tracking, which allows you to move around AR objects. Although sleeker than the Vision Pro, these glasses are still clumsy and you have to snap on other prescription boxes if needed.

I need to check out this latest SpaceTop action iteration before making any final judgment, but this is obviously a more feasible concept as an application that can be used on a variety of laptops. No one wants to buy custom hardware like an old SpaceTop laptop, no matter how good the party tricks are.