I’ve used the Meta VR glasses and they eat the lunch of the Apple Vision Pro for one big reason: they’re 1/6 the weight.
Meta Connect just wrapped, and the biggest announcement of the night for me was easily the debut of Meta’s VR headset, even if it was leaked ahead of schedule via Meta’s own prescription tutorial.
Before its official reveal, I spent 30 minutes with the new technology, experiencing a wide range of demos that might have convinced me that this isn’t simply Meta’s best VR headset yet, but it might be the best VR headset I’ve used yet.
The only drawback is that we will have to wait a little longer to use it. The headset won’t launch until “spring 2027” (March, April, or May), but at least we know it’ll cost just $1,299 when it lands (pricing elsewhere TBA).
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Thinner than ever
Let’s start with the design.
Thinner and lighter than anything before (the actual earpiece portion you wear has been reduced to around 100g); This headset looks like a pair of glasses. They even swap out the head strap for goggle legs so they stay on your head.
Instead, most of the weight is housed in a puck that you carry in your pocket, much like the puck used by the Apple Vision Pro or Samsung Galaxy XR. The big difference here is that Meta is not just a battery pack, it also houses all of the headset’s computing. It’s connected to the headset via an optical cable, but this cable never got in the way while I was wearing the headset, whether I was up and moving, playing a game like Beat Saber Flux, or sitting down being productive multitasking in multiple windows.
The headphones can support controllers; however, it does not come with any in the box. Instead, you’ll have to rely on manual controls: either stretch and grab, or the look-and-pinch controls popularized by Apple’s Vision Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy XR.
Finally, I must point out that, despite being called glasses, they are headphones. They have an opaque front cover that only appears transparent to the user due to passage. This real-world live video stream isn’t perfect yet (it’s still a little grainy and there’s a slight lag), although it looks at least as good as the competition in my experience so far.
They also support label insertions. They attach magnetically to the screen lenses and don’t alter the thinness of the headphones at all, in my experience.
The device is extremely comfortable to use. My demo lasted only about 30 minutes, but at a fifth of the weight of a Meta Quest 3 or a Samsung Galaxy
Plus, it’s so portable that you can easily take it everywhere in any bag you have on hand. No dedicated carrying case required. I can’t wait to travel with this thing.
A comprehensive power
While this can be used for all existing Meta Quest 3-compatible apps (although you’ll need drivers for those that don’t support hand tracking, either as a new paid add-on or controlling your Quest’s phones), where this headset really shines is in static experiences: productivity and entertainment.
We know that virtual reality headsets are great for multitasking. You can arrange virtual project application windows around you and even bring your PC screen into XR to create the perfect setup. Meta headphones have two useful additional functions.
First, you’re not limited to the number of screens your physical setup has when you connect it to your headphones. Each laptop or PC can be expanded to up to three virtual monitors, a tool that some previous iterations of virtual desktop applications have not been able to offer (you could open multiple virtual reality application windows, but only as many connected device windows as you had physical monitors).
Secondly, Meta headphones can turn any surface into a keyboard. Simply scan the surface in front of you, whether it’s a coffee table, a seat tray on an airplane, or a bench in the park, and then virtually project a keyboard and trackpad on which you can type and swipe. It works perfectly. In my demo, I was able to type as quickly and accurately as I could on a physical accessory, and in terms of portability, this is another win for Meta’s VR headset.
Moving on to entertainment, it looks like Apple’s Disney Plus exclusivity is over as the app and its library of 3D movies are coming to the new Meta headphones. Because it’s an app, you can download content to watch on the go, including new immersive viewing experiences.
While it was still just a demo, I had the experience of watching a clip of Avengers: Endgame which was extended beyond the screen in an improved version of Philips Ambilight.
It’s the scene where Thor is forging his new axe, I was sitting in that same forge. The room lit up and reacted as the events in the film unfolded, ending with lightning shooting out of the screen as Stormbreaker helped Thor regain his full strength. It was a bit clever, but also fun; It’s not something I would want for every movie, but it is an experience I would want when returning to a big tent.
All of this content, whether it’s immersive movies, a virtual reality game, or a work document, looks beautiful on the 5K micro-OLED display. It has a resolution of 37 pixels per degree, which is around the PPD of its rivals, the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR (Samsung and Apple have not revealed these figures, but they have been estimated during product teardowns).
This is significantly better than the Quest 3’s mere 25PPD and meets the standard of being able to deliver the enhanced IMAX format, with excellent audio and visuals. I tried this in my demo and I’m looking forward to experimenting more.
I need this for yesterday
I’m about to fly to Los Angeles for a press trip, and I desperately wish I could take the Meta VR headset with me on the flight, both to get work done and to immerse myself in a movie on a big screen instead of the back of the chair in front of me.
Unfortunately, the VR specs won’t arrive until 2027, although we know how much they’ll cost: $1,299. Much less than a Vision Pro or Galaxy
As of this writing, Meta hasn’t revealed too much in the way of specs (I’m writing this based on a pre-Connect briefing). The Meta VR headset can run any Quest 3 app and can multitask in six windows at once, so it should be at least somewhat capable. I hope it has at least 12 GB of RAM and the latest Snapdragon XR chipset.
I’m impressed that Meta can commit at such a relatively low price, especially months in advance. There are so many unknowns about RAM trade and demand that we’ve seen companies not reveal prices until as close to the last second as possible. Meta has bucked a trend here, but I expect it will only do so if I’m 100% sure the cost won’t change; If not, I will be very, very happy.
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As of this writing, Meta hasn’t revealed too much in the way of specs (I’m writing this based on a pre-Connect briefing). The Meta VR headset can run any Quest 3 app and can multitask in six windows at once, so it should be at least somewhat capable, so I’d expect it to feature at least 12GB of RAM and the latest Snapdragon XR chipset.
I’m impressed that Meta can commit at such a relatively low price, especially months in advance. There are so many unknowns about RAM trade and demand that we’ve seen companies not reveal prices until as close to the last second as possible. Meta has bucked a trend here, but I expect it will only do so if it is 100% sure the cost won’t change; If not, I will be very, very happy.
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