During its annual Meta Connect 2026 conference, Meta unveiled a range of devices and updates that move its smart glasses and virtual reality toward lighter designs while adding broader capabilities to its Muse AI assistant. The announcements range from new products and improvements to existing generations to expanded geographic availability.
Virtual reality glasses weighing approximately 100 grams
The company highlighted the Meta VR Glasses, which do away with the usual straps on virtual reality headsets in favor of a design closer to traditional smart glasses. The glasses weigh approximately 100 grams, while the processing, battery, and storage components are housed in a small portable unit connected to them by a cable.
The glasses use a Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite processor, 12 gigabytes of RAM, and 128 gigabytes of storage, along with a Micro OLED display offering up to 5K resolution and a refresh rate of up to 120 hertz. They can be used as an external virtual display when connected to Mac or Windows devices, and also provide access to the Meta Quest app and game library and support for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Meta plans to launch them in spring 2027 at a starting price of $1,299. Their reliance on an external unit connected by a cable remains a significant practical limitation, despite the reduced weight compared with traditional virtual reality headsets.
Three paths for Ray-Ban glasses
Meta announced the Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses at a starting price of $349, with sales beginning on October 13. These glasses do not include cameras, limiting their functions to listening to music, making calls, and interacting with the AI assistant, without taking photos or recording video. They weigh 43 grams and offer up to 12 hours of use, or 48 hours when the charging case is included.
The company also unveiled the third generation of Ray-Ban Meta at a starting price of $449. This version provides up to 9 hours of use, an increase of one hour over the previous generation, along with a customizable button for quick access to Meta AI and a six-microphone system that Meta says reduces background noise by more than 90%. The product is available in 27 combinations of colors and lenses.
Meta is launching a lower-cost version of Meta Adventurer at a starting price of $249 on October 23, along with the Mix & Match program for customizing frames, lenses, and storage-case colors.
What changes in practice?
The announcements show Meta attempting to divide the glasses market into different categories: a high-priced virtual reality device focused on light weight; camera-free audio glasses; other glasses equipped with cameras and AI capabilities; and a lower-cost option. This variety may expand use cases, but it leaves open questions about everyday comfort, the virtual reality glasses’ reliance on a wired unit, and product availability in all markets.
Muse moves from assistant to task execution
Meta plans to make Muse available on its smart glasses to help users during workouts, log meals, book appointments, and purchase products they see. The company also announced video calls using a customizable live avatar, and giving Muse agents dedicated email addresses to carry out tasks and communicate with users.
The company is targeting the launch of the Muse Charm device, a small device resembling an oversized version of a Tamagotchi toy, during the next holiday season, but it has not yet disclosed additional details about it.
Meta has also expanded the availability of Meta Glasses to the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, South Korea, and Mexico, with Brazil to follow later. It announced the availability of Meta Ray-Ban Display in the United Kingdom and Canada, with launches in France, Italy, and Germany on October 13, along with the Explore app and tools for editing photos, improving the calendar, and displaying phone notifications.