Facebook parent company Meta unveils brand-new smart glasses and Quest VR headset features

Meta has just unveiled several new products and updates during its annual Meta Connect at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California — including several new smart glasses, updated features on the Quest headsets, virtual reality gaming upgrades, and more.

Led by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Connect is an annual developer conference spanning two days that focuses on Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the Metaverse — the concept that pushed Facebook to rebrand its entire company.

Previously called Oculus Connect, it was rebranded after the switch to Meta back in 2021.

This highly anticipated announcement comes after several rumours have been swirling about what new products could be hitting the stores next.

Here's every major reveal we've seen from Meta Connect so far.

1. Meta announced three all-new smart glasses

First up is the Meta Ray-Ban Display. This new generation of smart glasses is the first to sport a high-resolution, colourful screen in the top right lens. This lets you view text messages, read live captions, and take video calls directly from the wearable. You can also see walking directions to help you navigate new areas.

The specs let you see through the viewfinder of the built-in camera for the first time. That camera has enjoyed a boost to 12 megapixels too, so each photo you take should be crisp and clear.

According to Meta, the colour display makes it easy to select and share your favourite photos and videos directly from the AI-powered glasses too.

Second, Meta has refreshed their Ray-Ban smart glasses with a brand-new second-generation.

This new version comes with eight hours of battery life, which is double the capacity of the first generation. If you're using its new charging case too, then it will give you up to 48 hours of extended battery.

It also features 3K video quality, higher frames-per-second capture, and an ultrawide monitor, which gives you even more crisp, clear footage than the prior model.

Plus, it comes built with a brand-new Conversation Focus feature. When talking to a friend on the phone, this enhancement utilises the glasses' open-ear speakers to amplify their voice during a conversation.

And don't worry about anyone hearing your conversation either. Only you can hear the audio that comes out of any Meta smart glasses, so no one can eavesdrop on the person speaking to you.

And finally, Meta is partnering with Oakley to release a pair of smart glasses they say are designed for "high-intensity sports." Titled Vanguard, these new specs feature a wraparound design and an IP67 rating to resist water and dust.

Best of all, you can integrate your go-to fitness apps like Strava and Garmin, where you can ask Meta AI about your fitness and data stats to help keep you on track with your training.

Like Meta's other smart glasses, you can expect the same high-quality camera to capture all your photos and videos.

These new glasses will be available in four different shades for £499 on October 21st, but you can pre-order them now on Meta's site so they're sent right to your door on the official release day.

2. Quest headsets will now be your one-stop shop for streaming

Meta introduced a new Horizon TV entertainment hub within Quest headsets. This allows you to stream all your favourite movies and shows within your headset from apps such as Amazon Prime Video, Peacock, Twitch, and YouTube.

The company has said it's also partnered with Universal Pictures and Blumhouse to watch movies such as The Black Phone and M3GAN on the Meta Quest with 3D effects. This could make your streaming much more immersive than logging into standard services on your television set.

The Meta Quest headsets are standalone virtual reality devices that offer immersive experiences for gaming, work, and social interaction. This means no PC or console are required.

3. You can transform your real space into a virtual world with a new Quest VR feature

There's a brand-new Meta Quest feature called Hyperscape. This gives you the ability to create a photorealistic 3D replica of a real-world space using your Quest 3 and Quest 3S headset.

This specific technology will utilise the Hyperscape Capture app. This allows you to scan your environment to transform it into a digital immersive virtual space that you can visit.

However, the new app is currently in beta testing, meaning it's receiving feedback from users to improve it, and so it's not available to everyone yet.

In the future, Meta also plans to let you share these scanned rooms with other users to expand the possibility of virtual social interaction.

4. The metaverse is getting a major upgrade

Meta announced that its online virtual reality technology, Horizon Engine, will be getting a major refresh. The company confirmed the updates, "powers better graphics, faster performance, and more advanced worlds." This means you'll have an improved experience with fewer interuptions when you're in the "metaverse."

If you're not familiar with the metaverse, it's a shared digital space blending virtual reality, augmented reality, and the internet, where you can work, play, and socialise through immersive experiences and digital identities.

In addition, Meta also plans to upgrade its Horizon Studio with an AI assistant to help "stitch" together the platform's existing AI tools to help you make virtual worlds.

Meta Horizon Studio is Meta’s platform for creating, managing, and publishing virtual reality worlds and experiences within Horizon, enabling developers and creators to design immersive social spaces and interactive content.