Meta unveiled a range of new hardware and AI advancements at its annual Connect conference in Menlo Park, California. The company introduced the Quest 3S VR headset, expanding its virtual reality capabilities. Meta also announced updates to its Meta AI features and presented a new version of the Llama AI model.
talked all things Meta Connect and face computers with on Vergecast this week https://t.co/YU9VaxE4bs
— Alex Heath (@alexeheath) September 27, 2024
A major highlight was the first look at Meta’s Orion augmented reality glasses.
@MetaQuestVR just unveiled Orion, their first true augmented reality glasses.
Check them out here 🔗https://t.co/Qcwpx1xgKs
How do you think AR glasses will impact our daily lives?
— TKS | The Knowledge Society (@tksworldhq) September 29, 2024
CEO Mark Zuckerberg showcased the prototype AR glasses, describing them as a “time machine” offering a glimpse into the future of AR. While the glasses won’t be available to consumers soon, they demonstrate Meta’s commitment to pioneering AR technology.
.@markgurman on Apple's Vision Pro problem: it's more of a tech showcase than a genuine consumer product. How the company may be rethinking its approach: https://t.co/gXPu9ar906 pic.twitter.com/dLLPHzjtDu
— Newley Purnell (@newley) September 30, 2024
Meta secured high-profile actors to voice its Meta AI chatbot, including Kristen Bell, despite her previous opposition to Meta using her data for AI training. The company is also rolling out updated avatars across its platforms, allowing users to customize features like eye size, nose shape, and body structures. Meta’s Quest app store now welcomes 2D and spatial apps, along with supporting web apps.
This broadens the scope of available applications, integrating services like The New York Times app as a Progressive Web App. From 2025, users will be able to generate new avatars using AI prompts. Mark Zuckerberg reiterated his stance that social media does not directly cause poor teen mental health, citing existing research.
He acknowledged the complex copyright issues surrounding AI training data, stating Meta aims to partner for valuable content but will refrain from using content if creators object. Meta demonstrated its vision for AI in creative processes, such as recreating influencers as AI personas that mimic their appearance and responses. CTO Andrew Bosworth addressed challenges developers have faced with Meta’s platforms, apologizing and committing to creating a more stable and supportive environment for innovation.
Meta showcases Orion AR glasses
The Meta Quest 3S is a more affordable VR headset at $299.99, compared to the Quest 3 at $429.99 for 128GB or $499.99 for 512GB. The Quest 3S uses fresnel lenses like the Quest 2, while the Quest 3 upgraded to pancake lenses, improving sharpness and reducing the headset’s pickiness about fit.
The Quest 3 has a higher resolution of 2064 x 2208 and 25 pixels per degree (PPD), compared to the Quest 3S’s 1832 x 1920 resolution and 20 PPD. The Quest 3 also has a wider field of view, reducing the ‘porthole effect’ for a more immersive experience. However, the Quest 3S has a slightly longer battery life at 2.5 hours compared to the Quest 3’s 2.2 hours, despite the Quest 3 having a higher battery capacity.
The Quest 3S is essentially a Quest 2 upgraded with color passthrough cameras, Quest 3 controllers, and a better processor. Meta unveiled Orion, believed to be the most advanced AR glasses ever made. Orion combines the look of regular glasses with immersive AR capabilities.
Meta is giving employees and select external audiences access to Orion for development and iteration towards a consumer AR glasses product line. AR glasses are considered key to the next leap in human-oriented computing. They enable digital experiences not limited by a smartphone screen, integrate contextual AI, and have a lightweight design suitable for indoor and outdoor use.
Orion features advanced miniaturization, the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form, and maintains the transparent lens feature. It is equipped with a smart assistant that understands its surroundings and provides useful visualizations for everyday tasks. While Orion is not immediately available to consumers, it represents a highly refined prototype indicative of future market-ready products.
Meta is opening up access to Orion for feedback and learning, informing the development of their consumer AR glasses product line expected to ship in the near future.
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