The problem with the term “space computer” is that most devices using this obtuse marketing term don’t actually look like computers. Yes the Apple Vision Pro Or Meta Quest 3 meet the definition of “computer”, but most people still think of “PC” as a desktop or laptop computer. So now there’s the Spacetop G1, an AR laptop, that’s trying to give the desktop and VR markets a boost because they’re too stuck in their ways.
The Spacetop G1, at $1,900, is a pair of AR glasses paired with a laptop case and a magnetic cover with a large bulge to hold everything. This would be a reductive description, but in many ways it is accurate. The G1 is made by Sightful, which released a beta version »Top EA Space” version last year before returning with a first modified product, more ergonomic and ready to be broadcast in prime time. The company has a few ex-Magic Jump developers who have iterated over the past few years to create this Frankenstein contraption. The glasses are made by the people of XRealparticularly the Xreal Air 2 Pro, although they feature some modifications intended to specifically handle a desktop-style interface.
I was invited to test out an early version of the G1 for about an hour while chatting with Sightful executives about what this thing was and where they think their technology fits into the still-nascent AR market. . When you wear the glasses, you’ll see a pretty spartan user interface with a blackened background that hovers a few feet in front of you and surrounds you up to your ears. You can load various windows and place them wherever you want on this vast desktop similar to Apple’s Space Computer. You can resize them as you want and move windows forward or backward with a few simple gestures on the touchpad.
However, you can’t take the windows and leave them there, and you can’t separate the glasses and the laptop. You can carry both, and the screen will follow you and reorient itself quite accurately. Yet, if you want to interact with the people around you, you have to take off your glasses or look down your nose at them, like a preppy kid on the beach peeking out from under his sunglasses.
Who is the Spacetop G1 for?
This is a device designed for ultra-multitaskers who demand more and more screens. Yes, I am one of those who prefer a multi-screen life. Does this mean I need 100 inches and almost 180 degrees of display space to do my job? Well, I thought not, but then I’m surrounded by screens with only a slight pinch of weight on my nose, and despite myself I could see myself arriving and disconnecting from the AR laptop lifestyle. AKA, I would become the worst weirdo you see sitting in the corner of your local Starbucks.
Sightful CEO Tamir Berliner told Gizmodo that there’s a long way to go since the laptop honestly hasn’t changed after decades of design. Mobile computers have been traveling such well-trodden roads for so long that no one thinks about innovation anymore. Yet this proven design is so well ingrained that people have a pretty good idea of exactly what they need from their laptop, and rightly so. A faulty keyboard or trackpad or slightly worse benchmarks could be the death knell for any device when there is always another device on the market that can meet these expectations.
As for specs, the Spacetop uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon QCS8550 from last year, which sports the Adreno 740 GPU. It has 16GB of RAM but a mere base 128GB of storage with more expensive options up to 102 GB. I would like to do some direct performance testing to compare it to other PCs, but for what it’s worth, I didn’t find the device to lag or stutter despite using multiple windows on the screen at once.
The glasses include a pair of OLED displays offering a 90Hz refresh rate with a 50-degree field of view. The external sensors and optics have been slightly tweaked for the Spacetop G1, but overall it’s a nice, lightweight pair of AR glasses. I had no problem reading text on a page and didn’t notice any focus or blurring as is the case with smaller AR displays like Lenovo Legion Glasses. They also don’t offer the kind of field of view you’re used to with a full VR headset, meaning you’ll have to crane your neck further to look at everything on your virtual desktop.
I would say the keyboard is the most important part of the design. If the basic typing experience can’t live up to expectations, I’d say the device might be DOA. The appearance of the keys initially resembles Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but without any of the brand-specific keys you’re used to. It may not be the best typing experience I’ve had, with the keys a bit hollow with minimal travel, but it wasn’t bad either. The trackpad stands out. It’s a nice, smooth glass that’s large enough to facilitate the multiple gestures you’d need to control the user interface.
What type of software does the Spacetop G1 use?
So this all works, but what concerns me most is the software. Things were slightly buggy during my demo, which is to be expected when the final release date is still months away. Sightful’s developers told me that the operating system is based on a heavily modified version of AOSP (Android Open Source Project) that allows for multiple windows as well as depth tracking on the mouse. There is a single bar near the bottom of your view where you can open apps. Currently, very few applications run natively on Spacetop. For apps like Instagram or YouTube, use the browser version.
Berliner said he wants to eventually release more AR-specific apps, though those are still in development, and it’s unclear when we’ll be able to see what Sightful has in store for its first true AR wearable. There is so much to consider here, but one point I will put in favor of Spacetop is that, despite that huge hill on the top of the laptop sleeve, it fits perfectly into the laptop stand from my backpack. The lid snaps into place with a satisfying snap, and you don’t need to wrap the cable in a specific way to keep everything contained.
Those who want to wait in line to get one must pay $100 on the company website the repository will be the first online when Spacetop finally releases in October later this year. The device costs $1,900, a steep price for any mobile computer. However, if you wear glasses, you will have the option to order a specific set of prescription lenses that magnetically attach to Spacetop’s AR glasses.
It’s best not to think of the Spacetop as an “augmented reality laptop”, at least for now. You won’t scroll through room windows with manual tracking like the Apple Vision Pro at $3,500. There’s really no AR capability, except for the floating screen specifically tied to the laptop itself. But the screen is bright and the dark glasses allow you to work even in direct sunlight. Which is all to say: This is an interesting and expensive new product that, at the very least, tries something new.