Meta Unveils $1,299 VR Glasses That Weigh as Much as a Deck of Cards

The IMAX-certified headset-in-a-glasses-frame promises 3D movies, live sports and a portable workspace, but buyers will have to wait until spring 2027.

Meta has unveiled Meta VR Glasses, a virtual reality device that weighs about 100 grams and looks closer to a pair of glasses than a headset. It goes on sale in spring 2027 for $1,299.99.

Meta says the device is about five times lighter than the Meta Quest 3. It gets there by splitting the hardware in two. The glasses hold only the sensors and display. A small puck connected by an optical tether handles the processing, battery and storage, and clips to a pocket or bag. Meta says there are no straps or heavy hardware on the face, and the open sides and passthrough camera let wearers stay aware of their surroundings.

A cinema first, a metaverse second

Meta’s pitch centres on entertainment. The company calls it the first IMAX Enhanced certified VR device and says it will be one of the few ways to watch select films in IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio at home.

The launch content is mostly Disney. From November, Disney+ subscribers in select countries can stream 3D titles such as Marvel’s The Avengers and Marvel Studios’ Black Panther, in themed viewing environments including Tatooine, Avengers Tower and Scare Floor. A Disney Immersive Cinema app built with ILM will offer VR-enhanced versions of films such as Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: A New Hope.

Meta is also lining up other streaming partners, including Prime Video, YouTube, DIRECTV, AMC+, Crunchyroll, Plex, ESPN and Tubi. Peacock, HBO Max and Paramount+ are offering their 3D catalogues for the first time. Meta says thousands of titles will be available internationally by launch, including 3D films from Lionsgate. It is also working with director James Cameron and Lightstorm Vision on “first time in 3D” releases in 2027.

Live sports and a portable office

Sports are the second pillar. Working with ESPN, Meta is building an “Immersive Sports” offering with front-row views, 8K streaming and 180-degree camera angles. It starts with college football on Meta Quest this year, with more sports due in 2027. Once the glasses launch, Meta says there will be more than 100 live immersive events a year, with partners including MLB, NBC Sports, TNT Sports and UFC.

For work, the glasses can show one large virtual screen or several. They can also turn any flat surface into a keyboard and touchpad, so users don’t need to carry extra hardware. Full-colour passthrough keeps the desk and phone visible.

Gaming gets a smaller role. Meta says more than 75 games will play with hand gestures alone at launch, and Xbox Cloud Gaming will stream hundreds more.

Specs and hologram calls

The glasses use 5K micro-OLED panels at 37 pixels per degree, with custom pancake lenses. They support Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos audio is built into the frames. They run on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon Reality Elite processor and are controlled by voice, eye tracking and hand gestures, with Meta’s AI agent built into the operating system. No controllers are needed.

The puck battery is rated for up to three hours of continuous high-resolution media playback and supports 45W fast charging.

Meta also introduced hologram calling, which creates a photorealistic digital version of the wearer that reproduces real-time expressions and reactions. Other participants see a hologram in their glasses, or on a phone or computer screen if they join that way. Meta says it works with calling apps from WhatsApp to Zoom.

What we don’t know yet

Nobody outside Meta has tested the device, so its claims are unverified. Several questions remain:

• Battery: Three hours covers most feature films, but Meta also pitches the glasses for working through a long flight. Real-world battery life will decide whether that works.
• Availability: Meta says Disney+ 3D content arrives “in select countries” and hasn’t named them here. Buyers outside the US should check before planning around it.
• Privacy: Hologram calling relies on capturing a wearer’s face and expressions in real time. Meta’s announcement doesn’t explain how that data is handled.
• Price: At $1,299.99, the glasses will need the entertainment lineup to justify the cost.

Meta’s announcement marks a shift in emphasis. After years of promoting VR as a route into virtual worlds, the company is now selling it mainly as a way to watch, play and work with familiar content on a private, portable screen. Whether shoppers agree should become clear once the first hands-on reviews arrive ahead of the spring 2027 launch.