The annual Meta Connect show started out as a way for the company to launch its hardware ambitions after it acquired Oculus VR, which had previously run the Oculus Connect event. Meta has since used it to talk about its hardware products, but also the software that runs on that hardware, which now includes AI.
At this year’s version of Meta Connect, the company did talk about hardware but also started to include updates about its Muse AI that make it more consumer-friendly and personalized. Muse also looks sure to get a big boost from all the devices that will run it. But for me, the bigger news from the show was the handling of AI and XR products. Meta spent a lot more time talking about AI with Muse than it has in the past at events like Meta Connect. Previously, it usually kept discussion of AI products like Llama separate from the hardware, but I believe that merging those discussions has happened because Meta’s AI ambitions, especially with Muse, are becoming more consumer-facing.
Muse Gets Personal
Meta is now bringing Muse support to most of its smart glasses, aiming to advance its AI ambitions toward the goal of superintelligence. Meta also enhanced Muse’s capabilities with a customizable avatar for the agent that operates in real time to handle user requests. Additionally, this agent can perform background computer tasks and has its own e-mail for handling requests. Meta also opened up a bunch of connectors to enhance the agent’s ability to perform tasks. The current list includes Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Wayfair, Instacart, PayPal, Shop Pay, GitHub, Box, Notion, Granola, and Expedia (coming soon), plus Shopify catalog access. Notably missing is Amazon, which recently blocked access to Muse.
Meta Introduces More Glasses Designs and Features
At Meta Connect, the company expanded its line of smart glasses with Ray-Ban Meta Gen 3s, which deliver a slimmer design, a longer (nine-hour) battery life, and a customizable AI button and two new styles. Meta also expanded its celebrity partnerships for new designs, collaborating with K-pop superstar LISA to complement the new ivory color of the Kylie Jenner style. Meta’s goal is to have more than 100 styles of smart glasses to fit virtually anyone’s tastes. The company also recently announced clear Z87 and Z87+ impact-rated lenses for use in enterprise applications. Meta also announced that it is developing a capability to make its glasses work as hearing enhancement tools thanks to a $150 piece of software that already has FDA clearance.
Meta also announced a pair of audio-only glasses that are thinner and lighter than anything it has released thus far. These camera-free audio glasses are a seemingly inevitable development in the industry as people become more sensitive about privacy. They also help Meta show that it wants to enable more people to harness the power of AI without being accused of violating people’s privacy. The audio-only glasses start at $349, offer a 12-hour battery life, and come in two styles with prescription support, starting October 13. Meta is also trying to expand the availability of its smart glasses in new regions, including Mexico, Singapore, and South Korea.
Meta’s VR Glasses Are Disaggregated VR
Meta’s new VR glasses separate the displays from the compute and connectivity via an optical cable. By doing this, Meta has reduced the headset’s weight to 100g, just one-fifth the weight of the company’s Quest 3 headset. This helps considerably with user comfort and fatigue as well as thermal management. The 5K micro-OLED display delivers bright, high-resolution images without compromising on quality. By removing the compute from right underneath the displays, you can also get considerably more stable performance.
It is clear that with this form factor, Meta is targeting much more casual usage that doesn’t require controllers. The new headset depends mostly on hand- and eye-tracking for user interactions, and these functions work well enough that you don’t feel like you’re missing the controllers. (If you do plan to game on this headset, you should absolutely get controllers for that purpose.) Meta also allows external devices to connect to the headset, giving you the option to use it for virtual displays and a virtual workspace with multiple monitors. That said, for this new device the company seems to be focused heavily on content consumption through partnerships with Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, HBO Max, ESPN, MLB, and UFC.
At $1,299, the headset price is still quite high for the average consumer. But this product does have the Snapdragon Reality Elite chip inside, so it is truly cutting-edge in terms of capabilities and performance. When you consider the price of the Apple Vision Pro, this one looks like a bargain, though I suspect it will still struggle to reach the mainstream. I believe this headset will satisfy VR enthusiasts and prosumers who want a portable, entertainment-heavy VR experience. There might even be an enterprise angle, which could mesh with Meta’s newly announced focus on the enterprise space. However, Meta has burned the enterprise market enough times that I’m unsure it will get much uptake. What I found most surprising is that the new headset won’t be available until spring of 2027, so half a year from now.
Muse Charms with the Muse Charm
Alongside its more established efforts in smart glasses and VR headsets, Meta has now built a small Tamagotchi-like keychain device, the Muse Charm, that runs a version of the Muse agent that can operate independently of a smartphone or a PC. It has a screen that lets you see your Muse avatar, along with a camera and microphones that allow it to see and hear your environment. It also has its own 5G connection, so it can operate fully independently of your phone or PC and perform tasks on the go.
Meta expects to ship the Muse Charm by the end of the year, and the rumors say it might sell for as little as $199. The strong connectivity, display, and performance are all thanks to the Snapdragon Wear Elite inside. That chip is specifically designed for high-end smart watches with 5G connectivity, but was also pitched at its MWC 2026 launch as suitable for AI wearables like the Muse Charm.
Meta’s Shift Toward AI Continues
Even though the company rebranded itself in 2021 to prepare for the yet-to-happen success of the Metaverse, in more recent years it has pivoted its product bets to AI. With the success of the Muse models and agents, the company now apparently sees its hardware ambitions as a conduit for broader use of those models and for scaling AI consumption. The Muse Charm is likely to be one in a long line of new AI devices and wearables, with glasses continuing to be the pinnacle of that AI experience. Everyone seems to agree that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for AI devices and that people’s preferences will vary widely. That makes it the industry’s responsibility to create a diversity of products — and build the necessary trust — to satisfy consumers.
