Meta unveils cheaper VR headset, AI updates and a prototype for AR glasses

Meta unveiled updates to the company's virtual reality headset and Ray Ban smart glasses on Wednesday along with AI advances as it tries to demonstrate its artificial intelligence prowess.

Meta, which introduced the Quest 3 last year, showed off a cheaper version of the VR headset, to a crowd of developers and journalists at Meta's Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters. The Quest 3S will cost $399, while the regular Quest 3 costs $849. The S3 is available to pre-order on Meta's website.

While VR goggles have grabbed more headlines, the augmented reality Ray-Bans that were first released by Meta in 2023 turned out to be a sleeper hit for the company. CEO Mark Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that Meta seems to have gotten past the supply issues that plagued the Ray-Bans a few months ago due to high demand.

"They are kind of the perfect form factor for AI," Zuckerberg said. The glasses, he added, let an AI assistant "see what you see, hear what you hear" and help you go about your day.

For instance, he said, you can ask the glasses to remind you where you parked or to pick up groceries, look at a pile of fruit and come up with a smoothie recipe, or help you pick out a party outfit.The Ray-Bans come in a number of styles and range from $369 to $519 on Meta's website.

Seemingly in his element speaking to a cheering and clapping crowd, Zuckerberg said Meta is working to "bring the future to everyone" with its headsets, glasses and AI system. As part of an update to its Llama model, people will now be able to interact with Meta AI by speaking, with voices from celebrities such as John Cena, Judi Dench and Awkwafina.

Meta working on AR glasses that use brain signals

One of the focuses at the social media giant's annual developer conference wasn't a purchasable product, but a promise of one: Orion, a prototype that Zuckerberg called "the most advanced glasses the world has ever seen."

The glasses, which are not available for sale and do not have a release date, are intended to bring augmented reality to a smaller form, as opposed to a bulky headset.

"The technical challenges to make them are insane," Zuckerberg said. There are no wires, and it has to weigh less than 100 grams (3.53 ounces), among other specifications. And beyond interacting with your voice, typing or hand gestures, Orion has a "neural interface" it lets you send a signal from your brain to the device.

At least, that's the pitch. Zuckerberg called them "a glimpse of the future."

Meta which renamed itself from "Facebook" in 2021 still makes nearly all of its money from advertising, rather than its products. In its most recent quarter, 98 per cent of its more than $39 billion US in revenue came from ads.

At the same time, the company is investing heavily in AI and what Zuckerberg sees as the next generation of computing platforms, such as VR headsets and augmented reality glasses.