The Meta Connect 2024 annual developer conference saw quite a few announcements and launches today, right alongside the Meta Quest 3s. However, right at the very end, the spotlight was instantly stolen by the unveiling of Meta’s “first fully functional prototype” of its long-anticipated Orion glasses.
Arriving in an armored suitcase, the Meta Orion glasses are, as Zuckerberg says, “fully holographic AR glasses.” Yes, the glasses that Meta has been working on for over a decade, with it making special appearances in the rumor mill now and then. Well, it’s finally here, and Meta is calling them “the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made.”
The Meta Orion uses Micro LED projectors at the frame that beams all the content using waveguides in the lenses. This very display is not exactly a display and doesn’t use plastic or glass. Instead, it’s made out of silicon carbide. To make the holographic AR dream come true, the Meta Orion uses 7 cameras.
Most impressively, the Meta Orion goes completely wireless, and takes to a wireless compute pack for power. In addition, there’s a neural wristband that allows you to use pinch gestures (yep, very much like the Vision Pro). However, that’s not the only gesture, as Meta Orion can be fully used with a combination of hand tracking and eye tracking.
At 100 grams, it’s also super lightweight and one of the most impressive things about the AR glasses!
And yes, it’s in collaboration with Ray-Ban, in a completely compact form factor. As Meta states in its official Orion blog,
Nailing the form factor, delivering holographic displays, developing compelling AR experiences, creating new human-computer interaction (HCI) paradigms – and doing it all in one cohesive product – is one of the most difficult challenges our industry has ever faced. It was so challenging that we thought we had less than a 10% chance of pulling it off successfully. Until now.
Meta states that Orion features the largest FOV in what are the smallest AR glasses to date. So, yes, just like the Vision Pro, from multitasking windows to a ginormous entertainment experience, the Orion is meant to do it all. Not to mention, it can also project holograms of people in the same room as you (Vision Pro’s Persona smirking in the corner).
However, as Meta rightfully notes, the most impressive thing about the Orion prototype is how deceptive it can be. What may seem like a pair of normal glasses can double down as one of the most advanced pieces of AR tech in the world right now.
Not to mention that it will be backed by Meta AI, which will be there to assist you every step of the way. An always-on AI of sorts. Now, although this is not a consumer-ready product yet, Meta reassures that “it’s not a research prototype,” and,
It’s one of the most polished product prototypes we’ve ever developed, and is truly representative of something that could ship to consumers.
Furthermore, they go on to state how they didn’t want to rush the process and take their time with the product and focus on internal development first. With that in mind, they already have a checklist of things all ready to take the prototype forward. From tuning the AR display quality and making visuals sharper to further shrinking the form factor and making them affordable, there’s a long way to go.
The Meta Orion smart glasses are “a look at the very possibilities within reach today,” and I’m honestly all for it. Given how the Vision Pro fatigue was all too real due to its bulk and wired batteries, it’s actually great to see a product that can make those problems go away, while not compromising with the quality. I really do hope that Meta sees this through, for this could be an absolute game-changer!
What do you think of the Meta Orion prototype? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below!
