Five years ago, we embarked on a mission to create AR glasses that would revolutionize the way people interact with both the digital and physical worlds. Today, we proudly unveil Orion, a groundbreaking leap in augmented reality (AR) technology. Orion promises to bridge the gap between these two worlds, allowing users to be more present, connected, and empowered without compromising access to digital information.
Why Augmented Reality Glasses Matter
Augmented reality glasses represent the next significant advancement in human-centered computing, and Orion is designed with three key principles in mind:
- Enhanced Digital Experiences: Unlike smartphones with their limited screen sizes, AR glasses provide expansive holographic displays. Users can place 2D and 3D content anywhere in their environment, transforming the physical world into their digital canvas.
- Contextual AI Integration: Orion is equipped with contextual AI that understands the world around you, anticipating and addressing your needs proactively.
- Seamless and Lightweight Design: Designed for both indoor and outdoor use, Orion is lightweight and comfortable. What’s more, it retains the human touch, letting users see each other’s faces, expressions, and eyes, ensuring a more natural interaction.
The Evolution of Smart Glasses
Before Orion, Ray-Ban Meta glasses paved the way for hands-free digital experiences. These smart glasses allowed users to connect with friends, talk to AI assistants, and capture moments without needing to reach for their phones. However, the industry has long been working towards true AR glasses—a product that combines the power of large holographic displays with the personalized assistance of AI in a wearable form.
Orion takes this challenge head-on, offering a true AR experience that goes beyond anything we’ve seen before.
Orion: A Breakthrough in AR Technology
Creating Orion wasn’t easy. We’ve spent years miniaturizing the technology found in VR and MR headsets, ensuring it fits into a lightweight and stylish pair of glasses. The result is nothing short of remarkable.
- Unmatched Miniaturization: Orion packs numerous advanced components into a design small enough to wear comfortably all day. Achieving this form factor required countless innovations, ultimately giving Orion the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form to date.
- Immersive Experiences: Orion’s large field of view allows for truly immersive digital content, from multitasking windows to life-size holograms. All digital elements blend seamlessly with the real world, providing a unique experience.
- Human-Centered Design: Unlike most mixed reality (MR) headsets, Orion looks and feels like a regular pair of glasses, complete with transparent lenses. This means users can stay present with the people around them while experiencing augmented reality, as their eyes and facial expressions remain visible.
What Can Orion Do?
Orion isn’t just about hardware—it’s about the immersive experiences it enables. Powered by Meta AI, Orion’s smart assistant understands your environment and responds to your needs. Here are just a few examples of what you can do with Orion:
- Hands-Free Assistance: Whether it’s asking for a recipe based on what’s in your fridge or adjusting your family calendar while on a video call, Orion enhances multitasking in ways never possible before.
- Real-Time Communication: Stay connected with friends and family through hands-free video calls and instant messaging on WhatsApp and Messenger—all without needing to pull out your phone.
A Glimpse of What’s to Come
While Orion is a product prototype, it represents the most polished version of augmented reality glasses we’ve developed. We are continuing to refine and optimize its design, ensuring sharper visuals, a smaller form factor, and enhanced affordability for when it eventually reaches consumers.
Today, we are opening up access to Orion for Meta employees and select external audiences to gather feedback and continue iterating. This hands-on approach will help us accelerate the development of future consumer AR products.
The Future of Augmented Reality
Orion is just the beginning. In the coming years, you can expect to see new devices that build on Orion’s technology, offering even more advanced AR experiences. Our vision is to create a world where people can stay present and empowered in their physical surroundings while seamlessly tapping into the vast potential of the digital world.
From Ray-Ban Meta to Orion, we’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what augmented reality can offer. The future of AR is not only bright—it’s already here.
Stay tuned as we continue to bring this future closer to reality with every iteration.
