Next to it Quest 3S and AI updatesWe took a look at the future of meta In Meta Connect. After selling the device several times in recent months, the company has finally given the world a proper look at its “fully holographic” augmented reality glasses, which it’s now calling Orion. Meta packs a lot of technology into these big frames that haven’t even hit the market yet.
Although the company first announced that it was developing holographic smart glasses five years ago, it has actually been working on the project for ten years. It claims it’s “the most advanced AR glasses ever made” and is the result of “breakthrough inventions in virtually every area of modern computing.” First, it uses itty bitty projectors to project the holograms onto the glasses.
These glasses seem less difficult to wear than previous mainstream AR products like Magic Leap, Microsoft’s Hololens, and even Google Glass. They also don’t cut you off from the rest of the world like virtual reality headsets do (although the Meta headset does). look at those around you via on-board cameras). As a result, you can see the user’s full face, eyes and expressions without resorting to a strange, scary solution as Apple is working with EyeSight in Vision Pro.
Meta said the Orion is lightweight and works both indoors and outdoors. As the glasses overlay holographic elements on top of the real world, the company claims, they enable “digital experiences that are not limited by the limitations of a smartphone screen.” In addition, Meta said, Orion integrates contextual AI to help you better understand the world around you.
The company added that you’ll be able to look inside your fridge while wearing the glasses and have Meta AI prepare a recipe based on what you have on hand. You should be able to join video calls, view and send messages on Messenger and WhatsApp through Orion. Various other apps like Spotify, YouTube, and Pinterest will also have holographic versions, according to the images shared by Meta.
There’s one main reason why Meta can keep the Orion light: not all of the technology required is actually in the frame of the glasses. The Orion comes with an on-demand wireless drive that handles most of the processing and transfers apps and content to the device. There’s also a wristband you have to wear for gesture control.
You’ll likely have to wait a few years to get your hands on this device (or at least a version of it). For now, Meta employees and “select external audiences” can use Orion. This is to help the company get more information and iterate on the product as it works towards a consumer version of the AR glasses.
Still, Meta claims that the Orion is more than just a research prototype, but rather “one of the most polished product prototypes we’ve ever developed and represents something that can actually be delivered to consumers.” By continuing to work on the product in-house, “we can continue to develop rapidly and continue to push the boundaries of technology, which helps us get to a better consumer product faster.” According to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, part of this iteration includes lowering the price of the glasses, making them more affordable.
A the leaked roadmap last year Meta has said it plans to release its first consumer AR glasses in 2027, though the company says it’s aiming to do so in the “near future.” As recently as Snap debuted its fifth-generation AR Glassesbut for now, these are only available to developers who are willing to pay $99 per month.
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