Meta to unveil Orion glasses, Quest 3S VR headset, and more at Meta Connect 2024
With these advancements, Meta aims to solidify its place in the future of AR, VR, and AI.
Meta's annual Connect event, which is taking place on September 25-26, will offer a glimpse, finally, into Meta's latest advancements in augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and artificial intelligence (AI).
One of the most anticipated reveals is Meta’s Orion glasses, a mixed reality device that seamlessly blends AR and VR in a sleek, wearable design. By overlaying digital images onto the real world, Orion promises to combine the immersive experience of traditional bulkier VR headsets with the stylish convenience of Ray-Ban glasses.
But early images shared by Mark Zuckerberg, on Threads, suggest they still resemble chunky hipster glasses.
It remains to be seen if Meta's Orion is much lighter for casual wear than the competition, Snap's new AR Spectacles which launched just last week.
Also, Meta's Orion glasses are expected to cater to a broader, more consumer-friendly market as Snap is focusing on a developer audience with its Spectacles, which early testers say still need some work—especially to justify the proposed $99/month subscription fee.
Kelechi Edeh
In addition to the Orion glasses, Meta is set to introduce the Quest 3S, a more affordable VR headset priced at $299 for 128GB, according to leaks from Reddit.
This follows feedback that the Quest 3's $500 price tag was too steep. And with improved AR passthrough technology, the Quest 3S could lower the barrier to entry for VR users, especially when compared to Apple’s $3,500 Vision Pro. By offering more affordable options, Meta aims to attract a broader audience and make immersive experiences more accessible.
Additionally, the new Quest 3S is expected to address the performance gap between the Quest 2 and newer models—a concern developers have raised regarding game development.
Meanwhile, Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses are also slated for a refresh. Although they won’t feature full AR capabilities just yet, updates powered by Meta’s Llama 3.1 model could enhance AI interactions, allowing users to ask questions and engage with their environment through AI-enhanced experiences.
Future iterations are expected to include a built-in display, bringing these smart glasses closer to fully immersive AR capabilities.
Overall, it seems AI is set to play a central role at Meta Connect 2024, with new integrations across platforms like WhatsApp, which is rumoured to get an image generator according to The Verge. Significant updates are also expected around how Llama 3.1 will enhance translations, object recognition, and chatbot interactions.
Meta Connect 2024 will stream live on Meta's official website, Facebook, and in Horizon Worlds for Quest headset users.
Personally, though, I'm looking forward to seeing how Meta's Orion glasses compare to the new Snap Spectacles. Will it hit the mark where the Spectacles didn't deliver? Time will tell.
Kelechi Edeh
