Meta Unveiled New VR and Smart Glasses With AI
The company introduced wearable hardware featuring integrated AI assistants set for a spring 2027 rollout.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Meta announced a new suite of smart glasses and virtual reality hardware, including a camera-free audio model, during its annual conference. The company also detailed the ongoing integration of its Muse AI models across these upcoming devices.
Why it matters
Meta is shifting its product strategy to embed AI assistants directly into wearable hardware while offering privacy-focused options without cameras. This move signals an attempt to scale proprietary AI models through consumer electronics adoption.
The new VR headset features a 5K microOLED display providing a resolution of 37 pixels per degree. The unit weighs 100 grams and relies on a tethered 300-gram external device to manage computing power and battery life.
The players
Meta
A multinational technology conglomerate developing social media platforms, AI research, and mixed-reality hardware.
The details
The VR headset is constructed from a magnesium alloy to minimize weight, utilizing a cable to connect to an external power and compute module. Users interact with the Muse AI assistant through voice commands rather than manual inputs. Meta also introduced a version of its Ray-Ban Meta Audio AI glasses that excludes a camera to address privacy concerns, offering 12 hours of battery life compared to 9 hours for the standard Gen 3 model.
Timeline
April 2026: The Muse Spark AI model launched.
September 2026: The Muse AI assistant launched.
September 23, 2026: Meta held its annual conference in California.
Spring 2027: Expected launch of the new Meta VR glasses.
The Tech Race
This development tracks the integration of Meta's proprietary Muse AI models into a hardware stack intended to compete with existing smart wearable ecosystems. The rollout extends a strategy of anchoring consumer device sales to advanced voice-based AI capabilities.
The VR glasses will retail for $1,299.99 with a projected launch in spring 2027 across North America, Europe, and Asia. Users prioritizing privacy can opt for the camera-free audio-only glasses, which are currently priced at £319.
The takeaway
Meta is betting that specialized hardware for voice-based AI can differentiate its wearables from general-purpose devices. Watch for the upcoming unveiling of the Watermelon model to gauge how the company plans to increase the intelligence and utility of these devices before the 2027 release.
What happens next
Meta plans to unveil an AI model codenamed Watermelon in the coming weeks.
Further reading
For more on the current state of industry research, visit Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Protothemanews.
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