VR glasses, Aviator-style Ray-Ban Meta specs, Ace Attorney in virtual reality and much more.
Meta
It’s Meta’s turn to reveal new hardware during the always-busy fall season. The company showed off two new types of wearables at Meta Connect, virtual reality glasses and an audio-only set, as well as the third-gen Ray-Ban Meta AI specs.
It announced some updates for Meta Ray-Ban Display while making those smart glasses more broadly available. In addition, Meta revealed a hearing assistance feature for its glasses along with the biggest changes yet for Beat Saber and a raft of entertainment content that’s coming to the VR ecosystem. In addition, Meta is working on bringing the Muse AI agent to its glasses.
Let’s dive into everything the company announced at Meta Connect 2026. You can also check out our liveblog for a real-time breakdown of all the announcements.
Meta VR Glasses
Meta
The biggest announcement at Meta Connect was the company’s virtual reality glasses. Rumors back in 2023 suggested that Meta would deploy its first such product in 2027 and it’s sticking to that time frame — Meta VR Glasses will arrive next spring. You might want to start putting some cash aside for them if you’re interested, though, as they’ll cost $1,300.
The company says, at around 100 grams, Meta VR Glasses are five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3 headset. The frames are built with magnesium alloy and have pancake lenses. They include full-color passthrough video support and a 5K display. Meta claims they’ll offer “cinema-grade clarity” with support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos spatial audio. The company says it’s the first IMAX Enhanced certified VR device too.
Meta
All of the computing is handled by a tethered puck and everything runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Reality Elite chipset. The puck also contains the storage and battery. Meta says the glasses will be able to deliver “up to three hours of continuous high-resolution media playback” on a charge. The puck has support for 45W fast charging too.
At the outset, there’ll be 75 games you can play using hand gestures. The glasses will run every game that’s available for Quest headsets with the help of support for Touch Plus controllers. You’ll be able to stream titles through Xbox Cloud Gaming, though Microsoft is imposing new time limits on that service. There’s the option to connect to other gaming devices wirelessly or via USB-C as well.
Meta
True to its metaverse-derived name, Meta sees the glasses as a vector for productivity. You can hook the device up to a Windows PC or Mac and control them with a virtual keyboard and touchpad on a desk or table. You can just use a physical mouse and keyboard too.
Not unlike Apple Vision Pro, Meta VR Glasses will support holographic avatars that you can use in video calls on apps such as WhatsApp and Zoom. Folks who are joining a call on a flatscreen device can see your hologram. When you see another person’s hologram while you’re using the VR Glasses, spatial audio will place their voice in their virtual location.
Of course, the company is integrating Meta AI into the glasses. You can tell Meta VR Glasses what you want to do using your voice. Alternatively, you can control the device with your eyes or hand gestures.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio
Meta
Perhaps in an effort to sidestep the not-unwarranted “pervert glasses” label that many have given to wearables that have a camera, Meta is releasing an audio-only model. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses are, of course, equipped with an AI voice assistant. They support music and podcast playback as well as voice calls. The company says the device will run for up to 12 hours on a charge. The charging case is said to add up to 48 hours of use.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio is designed for all-day wear, the company notes. The glasses weigh 43 grams and have “professionally adjustable temple tips, adjustable or swappable nose pads and overextension hinges.” They’ll be available in a classic Ray-Ban style called Clubmaster and a more rectangular Burbank shape in 23 color and lens combos. The glasses support prescription lenses too.
Pre-orders for the Ray-Ban Meta Audio open today and the glasses ship on October 13. They start at $349.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 and other smart glasses
Meta
Meta still does have camera-equipped smart glasses, however. It has refreshed the Ray-Ban Meta with a slimmer design and a button that triggers Meta AI. The third-gen model is said to have a longer battery life than the previous one, with nine hours of usage versus eight. There’s a six-mic array that Meta claims can cut out over 90 percent of background noise for clearer audio.
The 12MP camera supports 3K video capture. The company adds that the cameras on its AI glasses will soon be able to record videos with Dolby Atmos spatial audio. A dynamic photo feature can snap multiple shots and you can pick the best one (or let Meta AI suggest options).
You can now get the glasses in the style of Ray-Ban’s classic Aviator, as well as Zena, a cat-eye frame. The Wayfarer look is sticking around too. Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3 are available starting today in 27 combos of lenses and colors. They start at $449.
Meta
There are a bunch of special editions as well. An Aviator version in milky beige with brown Transitions lenses start at $579 and will be available for a limited time. There are new collabs with Kylie Jenner and Blackpink’s Lisa, and those models start at $399. Meta is also releasing new styles for its Essilor Luxottica glasses and bringing them (and other models) to more markets.
On top of all of that, Meta is introducing more models in its own-brand Meta Glasses range. The Meta Adventurer frames now start at $249 with a black frame and gray lenses along with a plug-in case, and there’s also a limited-edition version of the Meta Fury with a clear frame and mirrored lenses. Pre-orders for the former open today and they’ll hit shelves on October 23.
Meta Ray-Ban Display updates
There were updates on the Meta Ray-Ban Display front as well. Meta is bringing this model to more markets and making them more broadly available in the US, where you can now order them online for $799. Folks in the UK and Canada can buy these glasses today for £749 and $1,149 CAD, respectively. Pre-orders are opening today in Germany, France and Italy, where Meta Ray-Ban Display starts at €899. The glasses will be available in those three countries on October 13.
In terms of feature updates, folks in the US and Canada will be able to access cycling and public transit directions in the heads-up navigation tool later this month. Also, instead of turn-by-turn walking directions, the glasses can tell you to turn at a certain landmark that’s in front of you.
Meta Ray-Ban Display will support holograms in video calls too, but you’ll need to capture yourself using the Meta AI app if you want to create your own avatar. This will first be supported for WhatsApp calls in the US this fall.
Through the Meta AI app and Explore (an app you can access on the glasses), you’ll be able to check out an array of web apps. Moreover, Meta Ray-Ban Display will support photo editing on the display, Dolby Atmos video capture, notifications mirrored from your phone and more.
Hearing enhancement feature
Meta is bringing a hearing enhancement feature to its smart glasses. It’s designed more for people who can usually hear fine but might struggle in a noisy environment than hard-of-hearing folks who would benefit more from an actual hearing aid.
The setup flow is similar to the hearing aid feature on Apple’s AirPods — you’ll need to listen to tones in a quiet room so the glasses can tune the settings for you. You can switch this mode on or off by saying “Hey Meta, start hearing enhancement.”
This feature will be available in the US later this year on Meta Glasses, and later on the third-gen Ray-Ban Meta and Ray-Ban Meta Audio. There’s a 30-day trial but the company says it’ll cost a one-off $149 fee after that. Alternatively, it’s included with a Meta One subscription. Meta says the hearing enhancement tool is eligible for FSA and HSA reimbursement.
Beat Saber, Supernatural’s return and other VR games
Meta/Beat Games
Let’s get into the entertainment side of VR, starting with Beat Saber. Meta-owned developer Beat Games is said to be giving the title its biggest update ever this spring. It includes support for hand tracking, so you’ll no longer need to use Touch Plus controllers to play, though you can still do that if you prefer.
Flux is a new single-player mode in which you can use powers like the Flux Tether. Meta says this “channels power between your palms to slice through notes in time with the beat of pulse-pounding tracks.” Flux, which will be available on Meta VR Glasses and Meta Quest, includes 35 songs from across the Beat Saber landscape at the outset, with more to follow.
Beat Games is also revamping the single-player campaign to include a narrative aspect, fresh missions and a new menu system. The studio is adding a new progression and rewards system as well. This will let you customize the look and sound of the game.
Supernatural Health
Supernatural will be back on the Meta Horizon Store this fall. A newly independent development team took the reins of the VR exercise platform after Meta made widescale cuts across its VR and metaverse division at the start of the year. Users’ points, streaks and badges will remain intact in the new app. The developers are adding more HD environments, workouts and music along with other upgrades, Meta says.
Elsewhere on the gaming front, heist title Payday: Aces High is coming to Meta Quest 3 and 3S later this year with support for co-op crossplay with the PC VR version. An open playtest starts October 19. A mixed reality version of Tetris Effect is coming to Meta VR Glasses next year with hand-tracking support. Two Point Hospital is on the way to Meta Quest 3 and 3S with hand-tracking support as well.
While fans wait for the first entirely new Ace Attorney game in over a decade, the series is about to make its VR debut. Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies (which was first released on the Nintendo DS in 2013) is coming to Meta VR Glasses and Meta Quest next year with support for hand tracking and voice activation, so you can physically point at witnesses and yell “objection!” I’ve gotta say, that sounds like a fun way to confuse people you live with. You can check out Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies VR on Meta VR Glasses and Meta Quest next year.
VR movies, sports and other entertainment
Meta/Skydance Sports/The New Media
Meta is making a bigger push into 3D and VR experiences on its headsets and Meta VR Glasses. Disney+ subscribers (that service just got more expensive in the US, FYI) in certain countries will be able to stream the likes of The Avengers and Black Panther in 3D starting in November.
Meta VR Glasses owners will be able to check out VR Enhanced versions of iconic films like Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: A New Hope next spring. Meta says, in the versions of these movies that will be available through a new Disney Immersive Cinema by ILM app, “your surroundings will be transformed with immersive environments, dynamic effects, stunning 3D visuals and spatial audio to feel like you’re not just watching a scene, but living inside it.”
A docuseries called Open Season will debut in the Meta Quest TV app on September 29. This will take you inside the therapy sessions of Golden State Warriors player and four-time NBA champion Draymond Green during the 2025-26 season. This is the first entry in an original series called Meta Presents.
The company says it will offer hundreds of 2D and 3D movies for folks to buy and rent in the US later this year. It will expand the library to more countries by the time Meta VR Glasses are available.
A new National Geographic: Beyond app will feature 180-degree 3D experiences of the natural world. A whole bunch of other streaming apps are available too, including Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, DirecTV, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Plex and Tubi, while Peacock, HBO Max and Paramount+ will offer up 3D titles.
Meta says that, along with being able to dive into sports apps like those from the NBA and MLB, you can check out immersive sports from ESPN. This will include 8K streaming with 180-degree views. Immersive Sports starts with college football this year, and it’ll expand to other sports in 2027. On Meta VR Glasses, you’ll be able to watch more than 100 live sports events each year via Meta’s partnerships with MLB, NBC Sports, TNT Sports and UFC.
One more thing
Meta
We know barely anything about it, but at the end of today’s keynote, Zuckerberg briefly showed off a new device called Muse Charm. It’s a dedicated piece of hardware that houses your personal Muse Agent with a small display, speakers, mics and a fingerprint sensor. It looks a little like a Tamagotchi, into which, Zuckerberg says, Meta has “packed the whole Muse experience, including the real-time voice and avatar stack into something that fits on a keychain and is always available to talk to.” The company says it’ll have more to share on the device later this year.
