Meta is moving even deeper into the wearable segment with a significant new round of glasses at Meta Connect 2026. The company announced a new pair of thin, virtual-reality glasses, on top of the Ray-Ban Meta Audio, a camera-free, wearable device intended to send music, calls, and AI functions, without capturing a user’s environment.
Both of these announcements clearly point the way for two very different future paths to be taken for Meta hardware. The new VR Glasses are attempting to make going into immersive virtual reality much lighter and more glasses-like, but, Ray-Ban Meta Audio is trying to just make smart eyewear more minimal and friendly.
The Meta VR Glasses may have been the most audacious announcement of the event. Weighing only around 100 grams, they are much lighter than normal headsets, and structured very differently, not with a head strap as in most VR, but with computing and battery and storage with a small tethered puck. The glasses are powered by Meta Horizon OS, controlled mainly by eye tracking and hand gestures (Touch Plus controllers are also supported independently).
Meta states that the glasses are meant to offer “an assortment of experiences”, including video games, immersing movies, and working in a virtual space. The whole setup may also dock to a Mac or Windows PC to generate a giant virtual display stream, eliminating the need for a get physical display. The hardware will be available in spring 2027, starting at $1,299.
The other big announcement goes completely in the opposite direction. Ray-Ban Meta Audio is Meta’s first dedicated audio-only smart-glasses series. With the camera gone, it’s purely designed for people who want the convenience of wearable AI assistance without a camera built-in to their eyeglasses.
Weighing in at 43 grams Ray-Ban Meta Audio is light enough for all-day, everyday wear. Meta claims the glasses will last for 12 hours on one battery charge with an extra 48 hours supplied through the charging case. The open-ear speakers let users listen to music and podcasts while still paying attention to their environment.
The camera-free aspect is even more important as privacy has become one of the most heated topics when it comes to smart glasses. Previous versions of smart glasses with cameras have prompted concern of surreptitious recording of people without their permission. With no camera present, Meta is providing a set of smart glasses centered on audio, communication, and AI rather than image-capture.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio enables calling and hands-free chats with Meta AI and Meta’s Muse personal AI agent is travelling to its AI glasses. Users could always be connected in a similar way to their AI, without having to grab their phone if they want some information, help, or support with everyday tasks.
The glasses are also available in 23 color and lens combos. They come in the Clubmaster and Burbank styles. Pre-orders is starting at $349 and will begin shipping October 13. Meta is expanding its standard Ray-Ban Meta line with Gen 3. It introduces a more stylish slimmer look, a longer-lasting battery, a customizable action button, a 6-microphone system and a 12-megapixel camera with 3K video.
