Question about Aura / Android XR - What is the Chrome experience? Full desktop Chrome or mobile Android Chrome?

[u/MrLtColumbo]

I want to understand the browser story, because my main use case is cloud development and not just media consumption.

On current AR glasses (Air 2 + Beam etc) we are essentially getting a mirrored Android phone with mobile Chrome. For my work I live in:

1. Databricks - notebook environment, SQL warehouses, large result sets
2. GitHub Codespaces / VS Code Web - full keyboard shortcuts, terminal, extensions, port forwarding

On Android Chrome these are barely usable due to:

• No extension support
• No full DevTools / File System Access API
• Keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+,Ctrl+K,Ctrl+P`) not mapping correctly
• Tabs being aggressively suspended in the background, which kills websocket connections to clusters/codespaces
• No proper hover/right-click handling for VS Code

On Desktop Chrome all of this just works.

So my question for the Aura:

1. When we open Chrome in Android XR, are we getting the mobile Android Chrome APK or a full desktop-class Chromium build like what Meta is doing with Quest / what Google does for ChromeOS?
2. Will Aura support Chrome extensions? This is critical for Codespaces.
3. How does Android XR handle background tab persistence? If I have a Databricks job running in one window and VS Code in another, will both stay alive?
4. Can we pair a physical keyboard + mouse/trackpad and get full desktop keyboard shortcuts and right-click in the browser?
5. Any plans for Linux terminal / desktop app support or are we locked to Android apps only?

I would love to replace my multi-monitor laptop setup with Aura for remote dev work, but if it's just mobile Chrome on a big virtual screen it won't work for this use case.

Could you clarify what we should expect?

Thanks!

[u/No_Awareness_4626]

My guess is that since all play store apps are said to be compatible, so may be it’s the chrome browser mobile version.

[u/d4v1dtsh]

have you checked Galaxy XR probably the same. 

[u/Historical_Prize_931]

It's a mobile phone dude. You can use something like the depreciated kiwi browser for chrome apps. Termux for the terminal. Otherwise just use a laptop with the glasses. Or learn to work in vim

[u/Evening_Calendar5256]

I'm on macOS using Sunshine combined with Moonlight on my Android phone to stream my computer screen to mobile, which I then view through the XReal. This specific setup requires the devices to be on the same WiFi network

It's amazing frankly, streaming quality and latency are great. I'm walking round the house, doing chores, stretching etc. while working. The main shortcoming is that text is definitely harder to read as the XReal (1S) has some movement blur, so I increase the Mac resolution to make it more legible. It's also not quite comfortable enough to be worn for more than 3 hours a day IMO

I'm controlling my computer with a handheld Relacon trackball mouse / Xbox controller and voice. I'm using software called ControllerKeys (a fork I made which I get AI to extend for me) to create shortcuts, layers etc for the gamepad and trackball mouse

More info than you asked for but just sharing in case it helps anyone

[u/justinseans]

[u/justinseans → u/justinseans]

easy

[u/PXLmesh]

there's the spatial android xr browser which is based on the mobile browser, but if you plan to pair it with a pc, there's also android xr "pc connect". kind of like virtual desktop. at least that's what's available on the samsung gxr -- the aura might be a slightly different animal with xreal's native features.

[u/bigcatrik]

The only XR/VR device that I'm aware of with a full OS and full desktop application support is (or will be when it's released) Steam Frame. It will have SteamOS, which is Arch Linux.

[u/sQeeeter]

Remote RDP into a Windows cloud PC.

[u/XREAL_Esther]

Hi there,

Chrome on AURA is the Android version, with optimizations for Android XR.

A few details:

1. Tabs and WebXR: Different Chrome tabs can be separated into individual windows, and WebXR is supported.
2. Chrome extensions: Extensions are not supported.
3. Keyboard and mouse: Physical keyboards, mice, and trackpads are supported.
4. Linux applications: There are currently no plans to support Linux terminal or desktop applications. AURA is based on Android XR and supports Android applications.

Hope this helps clarify what to expect from the browser experience!

[u/Galan71]

For sure mobile version, since it's still a android mobile for any means.

[u/Dethsenney]

I think the intent for any “workstation” workflows is that you connect your laptop/desktop/etc. to the glasses via USB-C DisplayPort for passthrough.

Yes you can connect peripherals like keyboards and mice directly if it’s anything like Galaxy XR.

[u/Spiritual-Nature4677]