Meta will launch VR glasses weighing about 100 grams for $1,299.99 starting in spring 2027. It’s also turning its AI glasses into over-the-counter hearing aids. Mark Zuckerberg announced both at Meta Connect on Wednesday. He also introduced Ray-Ban audio-only glasses, a line that will grow to more than 100 styles, and the Muse Charm, a keychain device for Meta’s personal AI agent.
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Zuckerberg pitched the entire series around Muse instead of the metaverse. When Meta started making glasses, he expected the metaverse to come first and advanced AI later. “It’s now clear that personal superintelligence is not only going to come first, but it’s going to be much bigger and more important,” Zuckerberg said.
Meta’s VR glasses weigh less than a fifth of the weight of the Meta Quest 3 headset, the company said. A disk connected by an optical cable contains the processor, battery and storage, and clips into a pocket or bag. The glasses use micro-OLED displays and Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Reality Elite chip . The disk’s battery lasts up to three hours of video playback. Zuckerberg said Meta decided to focus a little less on the metaverse and build fewer VR devices, releasing them only when there is real progress, which he called VR glasses.
Meta claims it's the first VR device to be IMAX Enhanced certified. Disney+ will stream Marvel movies in 3D in select countries starting in November. HBO Max, Peacock , and Paramount+ will offer their 3D catalogs for the first time. Meta also promises more than 100 immersive live sports events a year, with partners including ESPN and UFC.
The glasses also function as a computer with various virtual screens, and any flat surface can act as a keyboard. Muse is integrated into the operating system, allowing users to interact with it via voice commands instead of menus. More than 75 games will work with gestures alone at launch.
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Users will also be able to make calls as photorealistic holograms, including full-body holograms, said Meta’s Andrew Bosworth. “Yes. We’ve finally solved the really hard problem of giving you legs in VR,” Bosworth added. The holograms will also be available on Meta’s Ray-Ban Display glasses, allowing users to participate in video calls from them.
A new feature, Hearing Aid, turns the Meta glasses into an FDA-approved hearing aid, intended for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Users take a guided hearing test in the app, and the glasses adjust the amplification based on their results. Meta didn’t disclose the price, saying only that it costs a fraction of a traditional hearing aid.
One in six American adults has some form of hearing loss, according to Zuckerberg. The feature will debut with Meta glasses. Hearing aid makers already offer AI-powered hearing aids, such as Phonak's EON.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio is a new category of camera-free audio glasses. Without cameras, they can look like any other pair of glasses, Zuckerberg noted. They are the thinnest Ray-Ban Metas yet, weighing 43 grams, and have the longest battery life of any Meta eyewear, lasting up to 12 hours, plus an additional 48 hours from the charging case. They come in two styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, with 23 color and lens combinations. They start at $349, are available for pre-order now, and will ship on October 13.
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The Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 3) starts at $449, features thinner frames, an extra hour of battery life, six microphones, and Dolby Atmos spatial audio recording. They also introduce the Aviator style.
