Meta Shows Off Orion, Augmented Reality Glasses That's Currently A Prototype

During the keynote presentation at Meta Connect 2024, Meta debuted its first augmented reality glasses, Orion. It's currently a prototype, but Meta was able to show off some of Orion's AR capabilities. While it may look like a regular pair of thick-rimmed glasses, Orion uses AR to project virtual objects onto the real world through its lenses in a way that's functionally similar to mixed reality on a Quest 3 headset, for example – but, of course, without a whole thing strapped on your head.

Orion is using the Meta AI smart assistant, which is contextual AI to read your surroundings, whether that be for placing digital interfaces onto the environment or having it identify objects around you. Meta showed an example of the glasses detecting ingredients laid out on a table and it pulling up a recipe through the projected UI. The glasses work with an EMG wristband that lets you control Orion through hands-free gestures alongside eye tracking and voice recognition. It currently has 70-degree field-of-view (FOV), which is the widest for AR glasses of its size thus far.

We just unveiled Orion, which we believe is the most advanced pair of augmented reality glasses ever made.https://t.co/nvL4cAOzFW

Meta Orion is not intended to be a consumer product as it currently stands, but it is a functional prototype that Meta says is "truly representative of something that could ship to consumers." The three points Meta says it'll focus on for further iterations are higher quality AR visuals, having a smaller form factor, and making it affordable to put out at scale.

For more on Meta Connect 2024, be sure to check out our coverage of the new Meta Quest 3S VR/MR headset, which is cheaper and slighty changed version of the Quest 3 that'll available starting October 15.

Michael Higham is IGN's Tech Reviews Editor.