Meta Platforms is on the verge of revolutionizing the way we interact with technology, and the vehicle for this transformation comes in the form of a sleek, unassuming pair of glasses. These aren’t just any glasses, though—they’re Orion, Meta’s first attempt at augmented reality (AR) eyewear. Though not yet a consumer product, the tech giant is giving the world a glimpse of what could be the future of computing, far beyond smartphones.
In a recent demo at Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, the Orion glasses were unveiled to select media, offering a sneak peek at a product that has been years in the making. Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, has long touted AR glasses as the “holy grail” of technology—a device that could replace the ubiquitous smartphone. But while Meta originally planned to launch Orion as a consumer product, the company decided to delay its release due to the complexity and high manufacturing costs associated with its cutting-edge design.
These augmented reality glasses represent Meta’s ambitious push into a new era of human-computer interaction, with the potential to integrate digital information seamlessly into our everyday lives. The glasses’ display, designed with Micro LED projectors and made from silicon carbide lenses, beams holographic-like graphics into the wearer’s vision, offering an immersive, hands-free experience. This unique material provides durability and a broader field of view compared to previous AR glasses prototypes.
A standout feature of Orion is its generative AI integration, which allows users to interact with digital content overlaid on real-world objects. In a demonstration, Meta AI helped identify ingredients for a smoothie recipe, providing floating labels and step-by-step instructions—showcasing how augmented reality can blend digital intelligence with real-world utility.
But it’s not just about AI. Zuckerberg envisions Orion as a tool for deeper, more dynamic communication through “holograms”—virtual objects that can be shared between users in real-time. During a demo, Zuckerberg and a participant played a 3D version of Pong, using hand gestures tracked by the glasses to control the paddles. The gameplay was smooth, with minimal lag, and demonstrated the power of Orion’s real-time interaction capabilities.
However, Orion is still a prototype. Along with the glasses, there are two additional hardware components—a neural wristband for gesture control and a compute puck, which acts as a wireless hub. The wristband uses advanced electromyography (EMG) to translate hand signals into commands, enabling users to control the glasses through natural movements like pinching fingers or flipping coins.
Despite the excitement surrounding Orion, Meta’s decision to delay its release underscores the high cost and technological hurdles of bringing such a device to market. Each pair costs around $10,000 to build, primarily due to the difficulty of manufacturing the silicon carbide lenses, a key component of the glasses. For now, only about 1,000 pairs of Orion exist, mostly for internal testing and external demonstrations.
Meta is positioning Orion as the future of AR, but the journey to consumer-ready products will take time. According to Zuckerberg, what was originally intended as the second generation of Orion will likely be the first version available to the public in a few years. By then, the company hopes to reduce costs, improve resolution and brightness, and make the glasses more compact and affordable.
Meanwhile, Meta is competing against other tech giants like Apple and Google, both of which are developing their own AR and mixed reality headsets. Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which already integrate AI without a display, will likely be followed by another product—Hypernova—offering smaller, more accessible AR experiences.
The vision for Orion remains bold: full-fledged AR glasses capable of replacing the smartphone entirely. While Meta’s road to AR dominance is long and uncertain, Orion marks an impressive step forward. Zuckerberg is determined to shift the balance of power away from mobile phones, positioning AR as the next big technological leap. As the race to perfect augmented reality continues, Meta is clearly in it for the long haul.
