Meta’s $1,300 VR glasses put the computer in your pocket

Meta Platforms unveiled a pair of lightweight virtual reality glasses tethered to a pocket-sized processing unit, with the system scheduled to go on sale in Spring 2027 for $1,300. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg announced the hardware architecture at the company’s annual Connect developer conference.

The glasses weigh 100 grams (0.2 pounds) and are styled like oversized sunglasses. A cable connects them to a 300-gram (0.6-pound) compute pod, moving primary computing hardware and battery capacity off the wearer’s head. Together, the components weigh less than tethered spatial computing predecessors; Apple’s Vision Pro, by contrast, puts between 1.3 and 1.7 pounds of hardware directly on the user’s face.

Meta is positioning the design against Apple’s $3,700 Vision Pro, while targeting mainstream consumers with a lighter form factor. The glasses run Meta’s Quest OS and are set to launch with more than 75 native titles controlled by gestures. They will also support Meta’s Touch Plus motion controllers for established Quest virtual reality titles.

The external module uses Qualcomm Inc.’s Snapdragon Reality Elite platform, featuring the XR2 Gen 3 processor. It contains 12 gigabytes of RAM and 128 gigabytes of internal flash storage, with a microSD card slot for expandable media storage.

Two 5K micro-OLED displays provide 2,412 by 2,288 pixels per eye, with refresh rates of up to 120Hz and a 70-degree horizontal field of view. Six external pass-through cameras map the environment and feed real-time, full-color video of the wearer’s surroundings to the displays. Four internal optical sensors track eye movements for gaze-based interface control and biometric iris authentication.

Rather than relying strictly on physical controllers, the glasses use gesture tracking detected by the external camera array. Users can navigate spatial interfaces, manipulate floating virtual windows and interact with digital “Hologram” avatars during remote communications through hand movements.

Meta is also building a storefront where users can buy or rent 3D feature films, alongside spatial media applications from streaming partners including Disney+ and Peacock. The entertainment strategy focuses on spatial media streaming, a market left without 3D television hardware after major manufacturers phased out those products in the late 2010s.

National Geographic is set to launch a dedicated application featuring 180-degree stereoscopic 3D video experiences. Meta also detailed “VR Enhanced Cinema,” a feature that projects dynamic ambient lighting and visual effects beyond the movie frame and into the user’s physical room. Initial titles configured for the format include *Avengers: Infinity War* and *Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope*.

The launch will put Meta in competition with high-end spatial computing devices and specialized display glasses. Valve Corp. recently detailed its $1,050 Steam Frame headset, while makers such as Xreal have popularized tethered micro-OLED display frames.

Apple launched the Vision Pro in early 2024 with a dual-chip M2 and R1 architecture. The company has faced industry attention over the device’s weight and sales volume, as well as leadership restructuring within its spatial hardware divisions. In a recent interview with French media outlet *Clique TV*, Apple Chief Executive Officer John Ternus reiterated the company’s long-term push into spatial hardware, saying, “it’s the early days of a long journey.”

Meta’s glasses cannot fit over conventional eyeglasses because of physical optical design constraints. Users who need vision correction must order custom prescription optical inserts. The external camera suite adds to Meta’s presence in head-worn optical sensors, following its ongoing production of smart glasses with cameras and microphone arrays developed in partnership with eyewear conglomerate EssilorLuxottica.