At the annual Connect event, Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a significant breakthrough—Meta’s first pair of true AR glasses, named Orion. These revolutionary glasses, which were previously known under the codename “Project Nazare,” mark a new chapter in augmented reality technology, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in consumer electronics.
The Most Advanced AR Glasses Yet
Orion sets a new standard in augmented reality with cutting-edge innovations. Designed with silicon carbide lenses, waveguides, uLED projectors, and a superior field of view, these AR glasses represent the culmination of years of research and development. As the most polished product prototype Meta has produced, Orion is a blend of state-of-the-art hardware and sleek design.
Meta’s journey toward scalable AR glasses has been years in the making. Now, with Orion, they’re continuing to optimize the product while working to lower production costs, ultimately driving toward a consumer-ready device that will revolutionize the way people interact with the world.
A Vision Realized
Five years ago, Meta set out with a bold mission: “We are building AR glasses.” Now, those early ambitions have become a reality, with Zuckerberg’s declaration that “We have built AR glasses.” Orion isn’t just an incremental improvement in technology; it represents a profound step forward in the way we experience digital and physical worlds.
Meta’s broader mission has always been to build community and bring people closer together, and Reality Labs—Meta’s innovation hub for XR technology—has been pivotal in achieving this through its projects. Ray-Ban Meta glasses have already shown how digital tools can seamlessly integrate into daily life, providing hands-free access to AI assistants, social connections, and multimedia capture. Orion builds on that success by merging immersive AR capabilities with wearable convenience.
Why Orion is a Game-Changer
The introduction of Orion brings the XR industry one step closer to true augmented reality. These glasses deliver the benefits of a large holographic display paired with personalized AI assistance, all within a lightweight, all-day wearable design. According to Meta, Orion may be the most sophisticated consumer electronics device since the smartphone, as it’s packed with entirely new technology developed over a decade at Reality Labs.
Key features of Orion include:
- AR displays that push the boundaries of modern technology, offering immersive and realistic holographic visuals.
- Custom silicon chips that provide powerful AR experiences while minimizing power consumption and weight, making them more comfortable than heavier mixed reality headsets.
- Intuitive input systems, combining voice control, eye tracking, and hand gestures with an innovative EMG wristband for subtle, natural interaction.
With Orion, users can interact with rich digital content while staying fully present in their physical surroundings.
Opening Access to Orion
As Meta continues to refine Orion, they are giving early access to select employees and external audiences. This initiative will allow developers to learn from real-world use cases and iterate on the product to perfect the consumer version. The ultimate goal is to release a scalable AR glasses product line to the public in the near future.
Why AR Glasses Are the Future
The introduction of true AR glasses like Orion is set to transform human-oriented computing, offering three key advantages:
- Unrestricted digital experiences: Users can break free from the limits of smartphone screens and interact with 2D and 3D content anywhere in the real world.
- Contextual AI integration: AR glasses are equipped to sense and understand the environment, anticipating users’ needs and proactively offering solutions.
- Lightweight and versatile: Perfect for both indoor and outdoor use, AR glasses maintain face-to-face interactions while enhancing them with digital layers, allowing people to see each other’s real expressions and emotions.
With Orion, Meta is pushing the boundaries of wearable computing, merging convenience, high-bandwidth input, and personalized AI into a product that can seamlessly fit into daily life.
Note that Orion is not for sale but Meta says they will be used internally. Zuckerberg stated that Meta aims for the next version of Orion to become the company’s first fully developed AR glasses for consumers, though he did not provide a specific timeline for its release.
These thick-framed glasses will be offered exclusively to developers, who must agree to a $99 monthly subscription for a full year in order to create AR applications for the device.
