Meta today announced a new generation of VR glasses that it promised will “define a new era for virtual reality,” creating an all-in-one productivity and media device.
Meta VR Glasses will deliver cinema, TV and sports content in one device with access to Prime Video, YouTube, Peacock, HBO Max, and Paramount+, DIRECTV, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Plex, Tubi, the NBA, MLB, ESPN, MLB, NBC Sports, TNT Sports and UFC, some with virtual and 3D enhancements. The frames are set to be released in Spring 2027 at a price point of $1300.
Like Apple’s Vision Pro — to which they bear more than a passing resemblance — you can watch movies, TV and sports on “theater-sized” virtual screens, video chat with your friends or work in an app environment similar to that on your phone.
Meta VR Glasses will be operated with hand gestures or by moving your eyes to icons on the screen.
Thankfully, Meta VR Glasses are five times lighter than their predecessor, the clunky Meta Quest 3. That’s primarily because the device is split in two: the frames and a pocket-sized device called a “puck.” The VR Glasses handle sensors and display. The puck, connected by an optical tether, handles compute, battery and storage and can be slipped into (or clipped onto) a pocket or bag.
The device’s TV app promises “the best media lineup of any VR device,” plus offerings from the 3D media catalogs of Peacock, HBO Max and Paramount+.
Even before the glasses launch, through a partnership with Disney+, subscribers to that service will be able to stream movies like The Avengers, Black Panther and more in 3D on Meta Quest headsets. There will also be themed immersive viewing environments from Disney franchises like Tatooine and the Avengers Tower.
Hundreds of movies will be available to rent or buy later this year on Meta Quest, with thousands of titles available by Meta VR Glasses’ launch next spring. Those will eventually include 3D films from Lionsgate and “first time in 3D” blockbusters from James Cameron and Lightstorm Vision.
Sports apps, like NBA, MLB and ESPN will be available on the device, with ESPN offering “Immersive Sports,” billed as “a front-row seat, 8K streaming, and 180-degree views.” Immersive Sports will launch with college football this year on Meta Quest, with more sports to come in 2027. Meta VR Glasses launch will being over 100 immersive live sports events each year from MLB, NBC Sports, TNT Sports and UFC.
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