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Meta Unveils New Ray-Ban Meta Glasses and VR Headset
Confirmed
In Short: Meta introduced the Ray-Ban Meta Audio and Gen 3 glasses, along with a new VR headset, at Connect 2026.
At Connect 2026, Meta unveiled the Ray-Ban Meta Audio and the third generation of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, addressing privacy concerns with a camera-free audio version.
The Ray-Ban Meta Audio starts at $349 and offers up to twelve hours of battery life, focusing on audio functions like music, calls, and voice commands.
The Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3, priced at $449, includes a 12-megapixel camera and a six-microphone array designed to reduce background noise by up to 90 percent.
Meta also showcased a new AI agent called Muse, which will be integrated into the glasses as a software feature.
Additionally, Meta unveiled a new VR headset, featuring a magnesium alloy frame with pancake lenses and a 5K display.
The VR headset supports up to three hours of high-resolution playback per charge and is compatible with the Meta Quest game catalog.
The new Meta VR Glasses weigh 100 grams and resemble big goggles, sitting on the nose without a headstrap.
Meta's new lineup includes a hearing aid feature called Hearing Enhancement, which uses speakers to enhance speech and audio around the wearer.
These new products represent Meta's continued push into the smart glasses and VR markets, addressing privacy concerns and enhancing user experience.
What this adds
Meta has not yet announced exact availability dates for the new Ray-Ban Meta glasses and VR headset in Germany.
What's confirmed
- Alongside the audio glasses, Meta is launching the third generation of the classic Ray-Ban Meta.
What's still developing
- The glasses are available in the Clubmaster and Burbank frames, with a choice of 23 different color and lens combinations, and can be ordered with prescription lenses.
- In addition, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg showcased a “Muse Charm”: a keychain-sized pendant with a display, speaker, microphones, and fingerprint sensor that, according to Zuckerberg, packs Muse’s entire voice and avatar stack into a portable format.
- With the audio version, Meta is introducing glasses that eliminate this problem from the start, while also opening up a more affordable entry-level option for anyone primarily interested in music, calls, and a voice assistant.
- Meta has not yet announced exactly when the third-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses and the Audio variant will be available for purchase in Germany.
- For the first time, anyone searching online for Ray-Ban Meta glasses will have the choice between a model without a camera and a significantly upgraded flagship model.
- The Ray-Ban Meta Audio is Meta’s response to the criticism the company has faced regarding its camera-equipped models.
- Instead of taking photos and videos, the glasses focus exclusively on audio: music, podcasts, phone calls, and voice commands to the AI assistant.
- Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Reality Elite chipset via a tethered puck, the device supports Dolby Atmos spatial audio, Dolby Vision, and full-body holographic calling.
- At its Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced all the new glasses the company is putting out into the world.
- The next evolution of Meta’s Quest VR headset is something truly different.
- Meta's flagship line of smart glasses is getting a “Gen 3” upgrade.
- These Meta-branded glasses come in a cat-eye shape called Capri and a rounder lens called Nova.