At Meta Connect 2026, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the company's new generation of smart glasses, part of his vision for "Personal Superintelligence" powered by its Muse AI agent.
In total, the company announced three new glasses — Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3, Meta VR Glasses, and Meta Audio Glasses — and offered an update on the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses announced last year.
Despite a growing privacy backlash toward against smart glasses, Zuckerberg presented smart glasses as the future of personal computing. He said that 2 billion people already wear glasses, and that he believes they will win out over other types of AI wearables.
"We think that glasses are going to be the biggest category because, first of all, they already are, and second, they are the only form factor that lets your Muse see what you see, hear what you hear, talk to you throughout the day, and display information right in your vision, eventually," Zuckerberg said during his keynote presentation.
In addition to the new glasses, Zuckerberg introduced a variety of new styles for Meta's glasses and a collaboration with Blackpink's Lisa. The CEO said more than 100 different styles of Meta smart glasses will soon be available to customers.
Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3
Credit: Screenshot courtesy of Meta
The third generation of Meta's signature smart glasses offers key upgrades and design changes, including:
Six microphones to capture your voice and reduce wind noise
Adjustable temple tips
New Dolby Atmos and spatial audio features
New styles, including Ray-Ban aviators
An entry-level Adventurer style starting at $249
Fashion was a key focus of the presentation. Zuckerberg emphasized that new styles will be available, such as Ray-Ban aviators, Zena, and a limited edition with a classic look for the launch. New frame styles include a cat-eye frame and an ivory colorway in the Kylie Jenner collection. Finally, the company partnered with Lisa from Blackpink on several new styles of the glasses, plus charms that can be used to customize the frames.
The glasses are available to order now on the Meta and Ray-Ban online stores for $449; the Lisa from Blackpink frames are available for $399. We couldn't find the entry-level Adventurer frames for $249, so they will presumably be released at a later date.
SEE ALSO:
Meet the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3, starting at $249
Meta VR Glasses
The biggest announcement of the night was for an entirely new VR device. The Meta VR Glasses combine features of high-end products like the Apple Vision Pro and Galaxy XR headsets with a more traditional smart glasses design.
Coming in spring 2027 for $1,299, the glasses are extremely lightweight compared to other VR headsets. Meta said the new VR glasses weigh just 100 grams, about as much as a deck of cards and roughly one-fifth the weight of the Meta Quest 3 headset.
The Meta Connect keynote focused on three main use cases for the VR device — productivity, entertainment, and VR gaming. The company described the glasses as a personal cinema, and featured videos of celebrities like James Cameron praising the display quality. The company promised entertainment features such as spatial audio, Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, and an IMAX Enhanced cinema mode. For gaming, Meta said the glasses will support the full Meta Quest VR game library and Xbox Cloud Gaming titles.
Like most augmented reality glasses, the glasses connect to external devices via USB-C. They can project a virtual display into the user's environment and place a virtual keyboard on a flat surface.
Finally, the company showed off a new feature called Hologram Calling, which projects a lifelike, full-body avatar into the display during a video call.
SEE ALSO:
Zuckerberg announces Meta VR Glasses, a lightweight virtual reality device for $1,299
Meta Audio Glasses
The new Meta AI Audio Glasses
Credit: Meta
As expected, Zuckerberg revealed the company's first camera-free smart glasses. The Meta Audio AI Glasses feature classic Ray-Ban styles and have a more affordable $249 price point. Zuckerberg said they are also the company's thinnest-ever smart glasses. Like the Meta Ray-Ban Gen 3, they will integrate closely with the Muse AI assistant.
The glasses are available now on Meta's website, where the description reads: "Built without a camera and more powerful than headphones, ask your glasses to play music or answer questions on the go."
SEE ALSO:
Meta unveils camera-free audio glasses
Hearing enhancement
Zuckerberg also announced that an upgraded Hearing Enhancement feature will turn Meta smart glasses into FDA-approved devices for mild to moderate hearing loss. The value proposition for this feature is clear. Rather than spending thousands of dollars on hearing aids (not to mention doctor's appointments), users can take a guided assessment using Meta glasses, at no extra cost and without a prescription, according to Meta.
Meta Display Glasses
The Meta Display Glasses come with a neural band and can be controlled by voice and hand gestures.
Credit: Meta
At last year's Meta Connect, the company launched Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, which feature a built-in display that can show notifications, navigation instructions, and other information. The glasses have been almost impossible to actually purchase, but Meta said that will no longer be the case.
The Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses are available for sale now on the Meta website for $799.