Meta Connect 2024: Here are the most exciting hardware updates, from Orion to Quest

Meta hosted its annual Connect conference on Wednesday, which highlighted the social media giant’s push into its artificial intelligence and metaverse ambitions. CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage at the developer-centric event to reveal a slew of new hardware and AI features.

Fast Company rounded up a few key updates to come out of the flagship event.

Orion AR glasses

Among the most exciting announcements of the day, Meta unveiled its Orion augmented reality glasses. The glasses, which aren’t quite ready to hit the shelves, are composed of trendy frames that use projectors inside the frames to beam holographic displays.

Meta says that beginning Wednesday and continuing throughout the year, it will open up access to its Orion product prototype for Meta employees and select external audiences to share feedback with its development team. It plans to begin shipping them in the near future.

“These glasses exist, they are awesome, and they are a glimpse of a future that I think will be exciting,” Zuckerberg said during the presentation.

Quest 3S headset

Meta’s latest VR headset, the Quest 3S, was a feat.

The mixed reality device is launching at a lower starting price point of $300, yet with many of the same capabilities of its predecessor. And it’s about $200 less than the cost of the Meta Quest 3, which also got a price drop.

To be sure, there are some concessions to the Quest 3 due to the price point. The Quest 3S has a bit less storage (though you can buy a model with additional storage for $100 more), and has a lower-resolution display.

“Quest 3S is the best headset for those new to mixed reality and immersive experiences, or who might have been waiting for a low-cost upgrade from Quest and Quest 2,” the company said in a blog post that went up alongside the event.

The Quest 3S is available for preorder now and will be out on October 15. Meta is also discontinuing the Quest 2 and Quest Pro.

Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses update

Meta announced a series of software updates to its Ray-Ban smart glasses, including new features such as reminders and the ability to scan QR codes. For example, if you’re looking at a pair of shoes in a store, you can tell your glasses to remind you to buy them next week, and Meta’s AI will do so.

“We keep updating the software and building out the ecosystem, and they keep on getting smarter and capable of more things,” Zuckerberg said at Connect.