Project Orion: Meta presents futuristic AR glasses

Meta presented the prototype of a new pair of glasses for augmented reality (AR) at its Connect event. "Project Orion" combines transparent lenses with high-resolution holographic displays. The product is not ready for the market. The technology is too expensive for that. But it provides a glimpse of the future that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is striving for.

Most AR headsets to date, such as the Meta Quest 3 or the Apple Vision Pro, are not transparent, but project the outside world digitally onto displays in front of your eyes. They are large and reproduce reality with some limitations. Project Orion, on the other hand, looks like normal glasses with thicker rims and temples. The lenses are not made of glass, but of silicon carbide. It is light and less susceptible to reflections. The glasses are said to weigh less than 100 grams.

Holographic displays with a field of vision of 70 degrees are integrated into the lenses. This is more than the Microsoft HoloLens 2 (52 degrees), for example, but less than the Meta Quest 3 (100 degrees). The displays enrich the real world with digital content - such as a screen floating in space or virtual objects.

A small, wirelessly connected computer provides the necessary computing power. This "wireless compute puck" processes inputs and sends the image signal to the glasses with low latency, according to Meta. Orion is operated by voice input as well as eye and hand tracking. Meta has developed an electromyography wristband for the latter. It records hand movements via the muscle tension on the wrists.

Image quality not outstanding, but good

"The Verge" has already been able to try out Project Orion. Editor Alex Heath had the glasses put together a smoothie recipe, took a video call and played a game of spatial pong with Mark Zuckerberg. He also describes the displays: "The picture quality is not so good that I would want to watch a film with them. But I could read text on a website without any problems."

In addition to Project Orion, Meta also unveiled an affordable version of its Quest 3 virtual reality headset: The Meta Quest 3S has less memory, but otherwise offers the same features. The basic version (128 GB) costs just 299 US dollars - 200 less than the normal Quest 3 (512 GB).