Meta Platforms provided a future view of AR with a demonstration of its prototype Orion glasses at a company event and introduced a lower cost version of its mixed reality (MR) Quest headset.

The Orion glasses represent CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for creating lightweight glasses that overlay computer graphics and additional information in an all-day wearable form factor. The thick, black glasses feature a large holographic display and personalised AI assistance.

Meta Platforms stated it spent close to a decade to develop the glasses in its Reality Labs division, which continues to haemorrhage cash.

The frames on the glasses are made with a magnesium alloy while the lenses provide a 70-degree field of view.

The glasses feature multiple custom silicon chips and seven cameras, including a miniaturised camera that enables custom eye tracking.

Orion’s input system combines voice, eye gaze, and hand tracking with a wrist-based neural interface that lets users swipe, click and scroll.

The wristband picks up neural signals to enable users to control the Orion glasses and see the results wirelessly transmitted to the lenses.

The social media giant didn’t say when the glasses will start shipping other than in the “near future,” but stated some employees and select external audiences will have access to them in the development stage.

Quest 3S headset
Meta Platforms also unveiled its Quest 3S virtual reality headset during the company’s annual Meta Connect event. It is positioning the Quest 3S as its entry-level headset for customers who are just starting to use mixed-reality apps.

The headset will go on sale on 15 October starting at $299, down from the $499 price tag of the Quest 3 that rolled out last year. Rival Apple’s Vision Pro headset that launched in February costs $3,499.

Meta Platforms stated the new headset is also powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip that is used in the Quest 3.

The company stated it rebuilt the Meta Horizon OS for better spatial computing, which it claims provides improved support for 2D apps such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

It noted the Quest 3S is compatible with the company’s entire library of apps and games.

It also announced a price drop for the 512GB Meta Quest 3 from $649 to $499.