Meta Announces Ray-Ban Meta Audio and New VR Glasses

Meta revealed several new AI glasses during its Connect conference yesterday, including audio-only glasses and Meta VR Glasses, which the company described as its “most advanced device yet.” The company also announced the third generation of its Ray-Ban Meta glasses, a new collection of cheaper Meta glasses, and said that its Meta Ray-Ban display was coming to more markets

Yes, that’s a lot of new products for a company that finally seems to find its way with hardware after making a wrong bet on VR and the metaverse. And with new audio-only glasses, the company is also starting to address the legitimate concerns from privacy-conscious people.

“We’re building AI glasses for everyone,” the company said yesterday. “By the end of the year we’ll offer more than 100 glasses options across Ray-Ban, Oakley, and Meta Glasses, including lighter-weight frames made for all-day wear and new styles with slimmer designs and longer battery life. With regular software updates, new AI features, and a growing ecosystem of apps and experiences, these glasses will keep getting better.”

Ray-Ban Meta Audio

Meta’s first audio-only glasses will allow users to listen to music and podcasts hands-free, take calls, and chat with Meta’s AI assistant for up to 12 hours on a single charge. Meta also promises up to 48 hours of usage with the included charging case.

The new Ray-Ban Meta Audio will be available in two styles, Clubmaster and Burbank, with 23 possible color and lens combinations. They will support a wide range of optical prescriptions and come with adjustable temple tips, nose pads, and overextension hinges. These first camera-free AI glasses will be priced at $349, and they will start shipping on October 13.

 

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Meta VR Glasses

The new Meta VR Glasses bring the technology of a VR headset to a glasses form factor that doesn’t look completely ridiculous. At about 100 grams, the Meta VR Glasses are five times lighter than Meta Quest 3, but there’s an optical connection to a pocketable puck that includes the storage, computing components, and a battery that can last for up to 3 hours.

The Meta VR Glasses feature a 5K micro-OLED display with 37 pixels per degree that’s IMAX Enhanced certified. The glasses also support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos spatial audio.

Users will be able to watch a selection of films in IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio, as well as VR Enhanced versions of Disney movies such as Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: A New Hope. Meta said that it’s working with Prime Video, YouTube, DIRECTV, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Plex, ESPN, Tubi, Lionsgate, and more to “provide the best media lineup of any VR device.” Live sports fans will also get access to immersive live sports events through partnerships with ESPN, MLB, NBC Sports, TNT Sports, and UFC.

Besides these immersive entertainment experiences, Meta VR Glasses will also support productivity and gaming scenarios. They will work as a standalone device that can run apps and games in virtual windows, with users being able to turn any surface into a virtual keyboard for typing content. There will be 75 VR games playable with hand gestures at launch, and Xbox Cloud Gaming will also make cloud-enabled Xbox games playable with a controller.

For a more PC-like experience, Meta’s VR Glasses can be connected to a Mac or PC wirelessly or over USB-C. “With full-color passthrough, you can still see your keyboard, desk, mobile phone, and surroundings while you work,” the company explained.

The Meta VR Glasses will launch in Spring 2027, and they will be priced at $1,299.99. In comparison, Apple’s Vision Pro headset is now priced at $3,699 following a recent price increase.

 

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New Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 and Meta Glasses

The just-released Ray-Ban Gen 3, which start at $449, come with battery and design upgrades. They’re now available in three styles (Aviator, Wayfarer, and Zena), 27 color and lens combinations, and a bigger battery that can last up to 9 hours.

Meta included a new 12 MP camera that supports 3K video recording, and there’s also a new 6-mic array that cuts more than 90% of background noise. The ability to record videos in Dolby Atmos spatial audio will be coming later this year.

“As with every generation of the glasses, these feature a built-in LED light that is designed to make people around you aware if you’re taking photos or video,” Meta emphasized today. This also applies to the cheaper Meta Glasses (without the Ray-Ban branding) that launched back in June in partnership with EssilorLuxottica. Two new styles, Capri and Nova, are now available for these cheaper glasses starting at $249.

 

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Meta Ray-Ban Display market expansion

The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses that launched in the US a year ago for $799 are coming to more markets this week. They’re now available in the UK and Canada, starting at £749 and CA$1,149, respectively. They will also launch in France, Italy, and Germany on October 13, starting at €899.

The AI glasses are also getting a couple of new features, including Dolby Atmos capture, photo editing in the display, and phone notifications mirroring. During WhatsApp calls, Meta Ray-Ban Display users will also be able to show a holographic version of themselves to the person they’re calling.

Meta teases AI ‘charm’ device for its new Muse agent

Muse, the new AI agent that Meta recently launched in the US, is now available as a desktop app on macOS. It’s also coming soon to Meta’s AI glasses, and Meta also teased Muse Charm, a dedicated device designed to fit in a pocket to make the personal AI agent available everywhere.

This new Muse Charm device, which looks a lot like an old-school Tamagotchi, will have a 2-inch touch display, a fingerprint sensor, a 5G modem, and a built-in camera and microphone. Users will be able to customize the appearance of their virtual Muse assistant and initiate a conversation by pressing the fingerprint sensor. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that the company is planning to launch its Muse Charm “in time for the holidays,” but there are no pricing details yet.

Muse is different from the existing Meta AI chatbot as it can access an isolated Linux computer with a full browser to perform complex tasks on its own. Lastly, Muse will soon have its own email address and add connectors for services like Walmart, Best Buy, Expedia, and more.