Meta’s Orion glasses remain relatively bulky, supported by two additional components: a 182-gram wireless compute puck that must stay near the glasses, and an electromyography (EMG) wristband that allows control of the AR interface through hand gestures. Initially equipped with cameras and sensors, the puck has been streamlined by Meta to focus primarily on connectivity and processing.
At the Connect event, the three-piece Orion setup was presented. While it appeared to be a compromise aimed at maintaining smaller glasses, the combination did not feel limiting after trying it out. The interface of Orion is managed through a combination of eye tracking and gestures. Following a quick initial calibration, users can navigate AR apps and menus by simply glancing at interfaces and tapping their thumb and index finger together. The EMG wristband results from Meta’s years of experimentation with wrist-based neural interfaces. This band, resembling a fabric watch band, uses sensors to detect electrical signals from subtle wrist and finger movements, which Meta translates for the glasses through machine learning.
Although the technology might seem complex, the navigation was noted to be intuitive—more precise than traditional hand tracking controls used in VR. While Orion includes hand-tracking capabilities, using finger taps felt more natural than extending hands outward.
Meta provided demonstrations highlighting Orion’s capabilities, such as generating images and creating recipes with Meta AI. Unlike similar interactions with the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses, Orion could project recipe steps onto a wall. Additional demonstrations included answering realistic video calls, watching YouTube videos, scrolling through Instagram Reels, and dictating message responses. For those familiar with mixed reality headsets, these features closely resemble those available in VR headsets.
The augmented reality (AR) experience allows overlays on the real world, ensuring the surroundings remain visible. Users appreciated this during gaming demonstrations, such as playing Meta’s retro-style game Stargazer, and engaging in AR Pong, all while maintaining conversations and avoiding motion sickness common with VR gaming.
Orion’s displays utilize silicon carbide lenses, micro-LED projectors, and waveguides. The clear lenses can adjust dimness depending on the environment. The 70-degree field of view was notably more immersive than Snap’s AR Spectacles, which offer a 46-degree field of view. Users could manage multiple applications within this view without moving physically.
Despite some limitations in resolution—at 13 pixels per degree, colors appeared muted and text fuzzy compared to Snap’s AR Spectacles resolution—Meta’s VP of Wearable Devices, Ming Hua, indicated ongoing improvements. A version of the prototype with increased pixel density exists, hinting at future enhancements. She also expressed optimism about eventually lowering the costs of AR technology to levels similar to high-end phones.
Reflecting on the introduction of Orion at Meta’s headquarters, there were echoes of the earlier wireless VR headset prototype named Santa Cruz in 2016. Like the Quest, Orion might signify a pivotal point for Meta—not just offering a compact format for mixed reality enthusiasts but envisioning a future with reduced dependency on mobile phones.
Currently, Orion represents a promising prototype but offers just a glimpse into that future. Although extensive work lies ahead to make this AR-enabled vision a reality, Meta’s ongoing prototyping suggests it may not be far off.
