Meta Orion
The Meta Orion (Project Nazare) is a prototype augmented reality glasses device developed by Meta, demonstrated at Meta Connect in September 2024. Described by Meta as "the most advanced pair of AR glasses ever made," featuring 70° field of view (widest consumer AR glasses), silicon carbide waveguide lenses, microLED projectors, onboard custom silicon plus wireless compute puck, 7 cameras, eye tracking, hand tracking with EMG wristband, magnesium frame, and 2-3 hours battery life. Not sold to consumers (production cost ~$10,000), available only to Meta employees and select developers. Consumer version expected 2027 at $700-$1,200.
| Meta Orion | |
|---|---|
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Augmented Reality |
| Type | AR Glasses |
| Subtype | Prototype AR |
| Platform | Meta AR Platform |
| Developer | Meta |
| Manufacturer | Meta |
| Website | https://www.meta.com/ |
| System | |
| Storage | |
| Display | |
| Display | MicroLED + Silicon Carbide waveguide |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 70° |
| Optics | |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| Tracking | |
| Eye Tracking | Integrated |
| Hand Tracking | Onboard + EMG wristband |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Integrated speakers |
| Connectivity | |
| Device | |
Development History
Meta unveiled Orion at Meta Connect on September 25, 2024, after years of development under codename "Project Nazare." While not a commercially available product due to ~$10,000 per-unit production cost, Meta described it as their most polished product prototype—representative of what could ship to consumers. The glasses demonstrate Meta's vision for AR computing and inform development of future consumer products expected around 2027 at $700-$1,200 price point.[1]
Design and Hardware
Display
Innovative optical system:
- 70° field of view
- Widest consumer AR FOV achieved
- Silicon carbide waveguides
- Stronger than glass
- Lighter than plastic
- High refractive index
- Efficient light direction
- MicroLED projectors
- Smaller than LCoS
- More power efficient
- Enables slim design
Processing
Distributed architecture:
- Custom silicon (onboard)
- Positional tracking
- Hand tracking
- Eye tracking
- AR world-locking algorithms
- Wireless compute puck (pocket)
- Heavy compute offloading
- Battery management
Tracking
Comprehensive sensing:
- 7 cameras
- Eye tracking
- Hand tracking (onboard)
- EMG wristband (companion)
- Electromyography
- Detects muscle activation
- Micro finger movements
- Hands at rest interaction
- Swipe, click, scroll gestures
Audio
- Integrated speakers
- Spatial audio
- Voice recognition
Battery
- 2-3 hours runtime
- Distributed between glasses and puck
Build
- Magnesium alloy frame
- Efficient heat dissipation
- Lightweight construction
- Glasses-like form factor
Features
Key Use Cases
- Meta AI integration
- AR games
- Hands-free video calls
- Virtual screens / multitasking
- Smart home interaction (refrigerator recipes)
- Digital calendar management
Interaction
- Eye tracking navigation
- Hand gesture control
- EMG wristband precision
- Voice commands
- Look + pinch selection
EMG Wristband
Neural interface accessory:
- Electromyography sensing
- Muscle activation detection
- Subtle finger movement tracking
- Arm resting comfortably
- No camera line-of-sight needed
- Enables discreet input
Availability
Current Status
- Prototype only
- Meta employees access
- Select developer access
- Production cost: ~$10,000/unit
- Not commercially available
Future Consumer Version
- Expected: ~2027
- Estimated price: $700-$1,200
- Based on Orion technology
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | MicroLED + silicon carbide waveguide |
| FOV | 70° |
| Cameras | 7 |
| Eye Tracking | Integrated |
| Hand Tracking | Onboard + EMG wristband |
| Processing | Custom silicon + wireless puck |
| Battery | 2-3 hours |
| Frame | Magnesium alloy |
| Status | Prototype (not for sale) |
| Unit Cost | ~$10,000 |
Significance
Industry Impact:
- 70° FOV unprecedented for AR glasses
- Silicon carbide optics breakthrough
- EMG input paradigm shift
- Distributed computing model
- Demonstrates AR glasses viability
- Sets expectations for future products
Reception
Praise:
- 70° FOV industry-leading
- Silicon carbide innovative
- MicroLED efficient
- EMG wristband revolutionary
- Glasses form factor achieved
- Feature-complete prototype
- Meta AI integration
- 2-3 hours battery reasonable
- Clear consumer path
Criticism:
- Not available to consumers
- ~$10,000 production cost
- 2027 consumer launch distant
- EMG wristband required
- Wireless puck inconvenient
- Competition advancing
- Prototype limitations[2]