Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is almost ready to unveil its latest augmented reality prototype. The CEO gave a preview of the upcoming 3D glasses in an interview with YouTuber Ken Sutter (aka Kallaway).
“Everyone I've shown these glasses to so far has had an amazing reaction,” Zuckerberg said. “I can't wait to show it to more people.”
Meta may unveil the first version of true augmented reality glasses, a project known internally as Orion, at its annual Connect conference this fall, Business Insider previously reported.
While the display of advanced technology will likely raise eyebrows about Meta's continued investment in this area, the glasses are not expected to be available for some time.
“We're focused on building a full consumer version of glasses rather than selling prototypes,” Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg revealed that the prototype is not thin because it comes with a thick frame to accommodate augmented reality technology.
Zuckerberg assured consumers that these glasses are not headphones like Apple's Quest or the new Vision Pro.
Andrew Bosworth, chief technology officer and head of Meta's reality lab, said last year that upcoming augmented reality glasses could be the world's most advanced technology in this field.
Zuckerberg said that demand for Ray-Ban smart glasses exceeds expectations, and that the company is working to integrate as much augmented reality technology as possible into the glasses while maintaining the best appearance of modern glasses.
“I thought we needed full 3D images, but artificial intelligence has made a huge leap forward, and I think even a simple product will become very popular very quickly,” he said.
Meta has invested billions of dollars over the years in its Reality Labs division, which develops advanced products including virtual and augmented reality wearables and Metaverse software. Zuckerberg warned that it could take years to bear fruit.