Wednesday saw Meta hold its yearly Meta Connect showcase, which brought with it a long list of new wearables. Among them, the Meta VR Glasses stood out as the clear highlight, taking a complete VR headset and shrinking it down into a smart glasses frame connected to a small pocket device. Alongside that, the company also unveiled camera-free Ray-Ban smart glasses, added new AI features, and introduced fresh style choices across its product lines.
Meta’s new VR Glasses remove the head straps found on standard VR headsets and tip the scales at just 100g, according to Meta, making them five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3. The device hooks up to a separate puck that houses the processing hardware, the power source, and the memory, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite chip with 128GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. A 5K micro OLED “Infinite Display” feeds each eye with 2412 x 2288 pixels, running at a top refresh rate of 120Hz.
The glasses launch in spring 2027 at $1,299. That price lands between the Meta Ray-Ban Display and the Apple Vision Pro, with similar features. Users can plug the glasses into a Mac or Windows laptop for a virtual external display, complete with a virtual surface keyboard and touchpad. The glasses also bring the full Meta Quest catalog of apps and games, plus Xbox Cloud Gaming support.
Meta says the VR Glasses are “the first IMAX Enhanced certified VR device ever,” and users can watch “immersive live sports” and 3D movies on them. There is also a “hologram” feature that creates a “photorealistic digital version of your face” for calls, much like the “personas” on the Apple Vision Pro.
Camera-Free Ray-Ban Audio
The other major launch is the Ray-Ban Meta Audio, which is audio-only glasses without built-in cameras. They can be used for music, calls, or chatting with an AI assistant, though they cannot take pictures or record video — a feature that has sparked privacy and harassment concerns around Meta’s other glasses.
Meta says the Audio glasses are its “lightest, slimmest AI glasses yet,” weighing just 43g. They offer up to 12 hours of battery life per charge, or 48 hours with the charging case. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio launches on October 13th starting at $349, with 23 different color and lens combinations.
Refreshed Ray-Ban Gen 3
The main Ray-Ban Meta glasses from Meta got an update, the Gen 3, which carries a starting price of $449. That version holds up to nine hours of battery life, one hour longer than the Gen 2. It also comes with a “new customizable action button for instant access to Meta AI” and a six-mic array that Meta claims “cuts more than 90% of background noise.”.
Compared to the Gen 2, the Gen 3 trades a bulkier shape for a slimmer one, offering 27 color and lens pairings, among which are fresh Zena and Aviator frame designs. The built-in LED light that shows when the glasses are recording is still present, even as Meta released a privacy fix for it last month.
Budget Glasses and New Styles
The Meta Adventurer now comes in two forms: a premium Ray-Ban model and a cheaper edition. The budget version begins at $249, featuring black frames paired with gray lenses, and it goes on sale October 23rd. Along with the launch, Meta has added a new “Mix & Match” program allowing customers to tailor their glasses through a mix of frame, lens, and case color choices.
Two new styles, Capri and Nova, join the EssilorLuxottica collection. The Kylie Jenner Starfire frames now come in an ivory colorway. Meta is partnering with Lisa of Blackpink on a new collection. Starting today, Meta Glasses are available in more countries, including Singapore, South Korea, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates, with Brazil “coming soon.” joining the list.
Ray-Ban Display Expands
A year after its launch, the Meta Ray-Ban Display is expanding into additional countries. It goes on sale in the UK and Canada today, with France, Italy, and Germany set to get it starting on October 13th. Alongside the rollout, Meta has added online ordering for customers in those three European nations plus the US.
The Display glasses get a new Explore app where users can “browse and use a growing selection of experiences built for your glasses.” The glasses also get photo editing, an improved calendar, and mirrored phone notifications. The “hologram” feature rolling out on the VR Glasses is also coming to the Ray-Ban Display “in Early Access on WhatsApp to Meta Ray-Ban Display users in the US later this fall.”
“in Early Access on WhatsApp to Meta Ray-Ban Display users in the US later this fall”
Muse and the Charm
The company announced its new Muse assistant earlier this month, and it is now “working on” making the AI available on its smart glasses. Once it arrives, Muse will handle workouts, keep track of meals, book appointments, and assist with purchases made from what you see. The agents behind Muse are also being given their own email addresses so they can complete tasks and communicate directly with users.
One more device was teased by Zuckerberg: the Muse Charm, a tiny AI device that holds the Muse agent and resembles a supersized Tamagotchi. Further details are expected to be revealed “soon,” though the item is slated to reach stores in time for the holiday season.
VR now comes in a glasses shape thanks to the VR Glasses, while the Ray-Ban Audio drops cameras altogether, and the Muse Charm puts AI inside a device built like a Tamagotchi.
See the video the story is built around at The Verge.
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