Meta launches new VR glasses with 5K displays, IMAX support

You can almost mistake Meta's newest VR device for a pair of sports sunglasses. After nearly a decade selling the bulky Quest lineup, Meta has unveiled VR glasses that weigh just 100 grams, five times lighter than the Quest 3, with a shape closer to the Oakley Meta Vanguard than anything resembling a traditional headset.

The trick behind that weight cut is a tethered puck, connected via optical cable, which handles all processing, storage, and battery. It is powered by the Snapdragon Reality Elite chip, operates for up to three hours and functions as a capacitive touchpad for controlling the interface while the glasses retain only optics inside.

Micro-OLED panels in 5K resolution at 37 pixels per degree for each eye provide a higher pixel density than in either the Apple Vision Pro or the upcoming Meta Quest 3 headset. The pancake optics ensure compactness but do not compromise the quality of the picture and sound that is supported by the glasses certification for Dolby Vision and Dolby Audio.

IMAX certification is a first for VR

Meta's VR Glasses are the only VR Glasses that have received certification for IMAX Enhanced, featuring a 1.90:1 aspect ratio and 3D viewing on selected movies such as "The Avengers" and "Black Panther" from Marvel. Meta has confirmed that more movies from Prime Video, YouTube, Crunchyroll, Plex, and ESPN are going to be added to the list before the end of next year, as part of a deal to offer 8K sports viewing with 180-degree vision.

In addition to entertainment purposes, users can view a virtual keyboard and trackpad to do their work without using additional devices, with full-colour passthrough allowing them to see natural light in the background.

Meta also added Hologram Calling, generating a photorealistic avatar of the person you're speaking with during video calls, a direct answer to Apple's Vision Pro personas.

Meta's VR glasses are priced at $1,299, but they won't actually ship until spring 2027.