- Meta previews prototype AR glasses at annual connect conference.
- Meta plans to ship its first commercial AR glasses to consumers in 2027, anticipating that technical breakthroughs will reduce production costs by then.
OUR TAKE
Meta Platforms recently unveiled its first working prototype of augmented-reality glasses, named Orion, at the Connect conference. While this announcement highlights Meta’s ambition to lead in the AR space, it’s essential to consider the challenges ahead. Historically, many AR attempts, like Google Glass, have failed to capture consumer interest. Meta’s significant investments—projected to reach between $37 billion and $40 billion in 2024—demonstrate its commitment but also indicate the high stakes involved.
-Tacy Ding, BTW reporter
What happened
Facebook owner Meta Platforms (META.O) unveiled its first working prototype of augmented-reality glasses, named Orion, during its annual Connect conference on Wednesday. The California-based company outlined its ambitions for products designed to merge the virtual world with reality.
“This is the physical world with holograms overlaid on it,” said Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, dramatically unveiling the chunky black glasses from a metal case brought to him on stage.
Meta also showcased new AI chatbot capabilities for its services and introduced a new Quest mixed-reality headset. Following the announcements, Meta shares reached a record closing high on Wednesday, rising 0.9% to $568.31.
The Orion glasses are constructed from magnesium alloy and powered by custom silicon designed by Meta. Users will be able to interact with the glasses using hand-tracking, voice commands, and a wrist-based neural interface. Zuckerberg indicated that Meta aims to make the glasses smaller, sleeker, and more affordable before launching them to consumers in the future.
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Why it’s important
Big Tech has been working on AR devices for years, though many notable attempts, like Google’s Glass, have been failures.
Zuckerberg framed AR technology as a sort of magnum opus when he pivoted the world’s largest social media company towards creating immersive “metaverse” systems in 2021. However, the delivery of products has been hindered by high development costs and technological challenges.
Paolo Pescatore, an analyst at PP Foresight, noted that there is no doubt about Meta’s ambition to make virtual- and augmented-reality products mass-market and affordable. However, he added that users remain “still wary of AI” and will require some convincing.
The company has invested tens of billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and other metaverse technologies, resulting in a capital expense forecast for 2024 projected to reach a record high of between $37 billion and $40 billion.
