Meta just unveiled a $1,299 pair of VR glasses. Here’s what makes them different

• Meta’s new VR Glasses weigh about 100 grams.
• They use a separate computing puck for processing and battery power.
• The glasses can create virtual screens, 3D cinema and holographic video calls.

Meta has unveiled a new pair of VR glasses priced at $1,299, bringing virtual reality technology into a much smaller form factor than its traditional Quest headsets.

Unveiled at Meta Connect 2026, the glasses are designed to combine virtual reality with everyday computing, entertainment and artificial intelligence. They are due to go on sale in spring 2027.

At about 100 grams, the device weighs roughly a fifth of a Meta Quest 3. The reason is that Meta has split the hardware into two parts.

The glasses contain the displays and sensors, while an external puck connected by a cable handles the processor, battery and storage. The puck can be clipped to a pocket or bag, reducing the weight and bulk on the user's face.

A cinema you can carry around

One of the biggest selling points is entertainment.

The Meta VR Glasses use micro-OLED displays and are the first VR device to receive IMAX Enhanced certification, according to Meta. They support 3D films and Dolby Vision, while Dolby Atmos spatial audio is built into the glasses.

Meta is also developing immersive versions of films where the user's surroundings can be transformed into virtual environments.

For example, its Disney Immersive Cinema experience can add 3D visuals, spatial audio and themed environments to selected films. Meta says thousands of titles will eventually be available internationally.

The glasses are also being positioned as a way to watch live sport. Meta says users will eventually be able to watch more than 100 immersive live sporting events each year, including content from partners such as MLB, NBC Sports, TNT Sports and UFC.

But entertainment is only one part of the pitch.

The glasses can also act as a portable workspace, allowing users to create multiple virtual screens around them. Meta says any flat surface can be turned into a keyboard and touchpad, while colour passthrough allows users to continue seeing their surroundings.

That could allow someone to work with several large virtual screens without carrying a physical monitor.

No controllers, and a hologram on the other side

Meta is also trying to make interaction more natural.

Users can control the glasses with their eyes, voice and hand gestures, rather than relying on traditional VR controllers. They can use those inputs to open apps, play films, adjust their workspace or search for information.

The company has also demonstrated hologram calling.

Instead of appearing as a conventional video image, the person on the other end can appear as a photorealistic digital version of themselves, with their expressions and reactions represented in real time. Spatial audio is designed to make their voice appear to come from their position in the virtual space.

The hologram can also be viewed by someone using a phone or computer, while calls can work through services including WhatsApp and Zoom.

AI is built into the glasses as well. Meta says its personal AI agent, Muse, is integrated into the operating system, allowing users to interact with it through voice, eye movements and hand gestures.

That connects the new hardware to Meta's wider push into AI agents. Muse is designed to carry out tasks such as sending emails and booking travel rather than simply answering questions, and Meta is bringing the agent to its AI glasses.

The $1,299 price means the Meta VR Glasses are not positioned as a mass-market replacement for conventional smart glasses. Instead, Meta is presenting them as a new type of computing device that combines a private cinema, gaming system and multi-screen workspace in a wearable form.

Alongside the VR launch, Meta is expanding its broader glasses range. Its new Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses start at $349 and offer music, calls and hands-free access to AI without a camera. Meta says its wider Ray-Ban, Oakley and Meta glasses range will exceed 100 styles by the end of 2026.

Taken together, the launches show that Meta is not treating glasses simply as a smaller version of a smartphone. It is trying to make them a way to access AI, entertainment and computing without constantly looking down at a screen.