Everything to expect at Meta Connect 2024: AR, AI and the cheaper Quest 3S

Meta Connect 2024 is shaping up to be a big one, with some exciting tech and product reveals expected! One of the biggest announcements will likely center around the Meta Quest 4, Meta’s next VR headset, which is rumoured to bring better visuals, a slimmer design, and improved battery life. Meta is also expected to showcase advancements in its metaverse, with updates on Horizon Worlds, enhanced AI avatars, and more interactive features. Plus, expect some cool new tools for creators, enhanced AR experiences, and surprises in the wearable tech space.

It’s going to be a packed event with plenty of future-forward announcements!

The next event is set to be a showcase of its ambitious AI plans. The company is expected to reveal how AI will play a central role across its platforms, from enhancing user experiences to driving new innovations in augmented and virtual reality. With the recent release of its Llama 3.1 large language model (LLM), Meta aims to demonstrate improved translation, general knowledge, and search capabilities in products like the Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meta is positioning itself as a major player in AI, competing with Google and OpenAI in the LLM space. While Zuckerberg isn't as hot on the metaverse as he was when he renamed his company, the union of AI and AR is one way he can still make the dream of persistent virtual worlds come true. It might look less like Ready Player One, but if AR glasses actually take off, they could still let Meta control another piece of our digital world. And to help get them there, delivering an updated inexpensive VR headset couldn’t hurt.

Orion AR glasses

After reportedly killing a pricey next-generation mixed reality headset, which was meant to compete with the Apple Vision Pro, Meta is instead focusing on a pair of augmented reality glasses, codenamed Orion, as its next innovation. Meta’s upcoming Orion AR glasses are expected to be a major step forward in augmented reality technology. Unlike previous bulky headsets like the Quest, these glasses are designed to look more like traditional eyewear, offering a lightweight, seamless experience. Orion will likely blend digital elements with the real world, allowing users to view holographic imagery overlaid on their surroundings. Meta has hinted at impressive advancements in both AR and AI integration, with the glasses potentially offering interactive features controlled through hand gestures or voice commands. These AR glasses could be a pivotal product in Meta's broader strategy to dominate the AR/VR space, blending the physical and digital worlds in a practical, wearable form factor.

“The glasses are, I think, going to be a big deal,” Zuckerberg said in an interview on the Blueprint Podcast (via RoadtoVR). “We’re almost ready to start showing the prototype version of the full holographic glasses. We’re not going to be selling it broadly; we’re focused on building the full consumer version rather than selling the prototype.”

According to a leaked Meta roadmap, the company plans to release a new pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses next year which would add a small built-in screen alongside its existing camera, speaker and microphone. That would be followed by Meta’s first pair of consumer AR glasses in 2027.

Meta is set to reveal the Quest 3S, a cheaper alternative to the Quest 3, at their upcoming event. The Quest 3S is rumored to be a more affordable version, potentially priced around $300 to $400, making VR accessible to a wider audience. It’s expected to retain many of the Quest 3's key features, like the powerful Snapdragon processor, but with some trade-offs in display resolution or features to reduce costs. This move could also replace the aging Quest 2, offering a modern entry-level VR experience.

Meta's upcoming Quest 3S aims to fill the gap between the Quest 3 and Quest 2, making life easier for developers by offering a lower-cost headset with similar performance to the Quest 3. By using the same processor and potentially skipping bundled controllers, Meta can lower the price, making VR more affordable. The event will also likely highlight Meta's progress in integrating AI into its headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses, powered by the Llama 3.1 language model for improved translation and general knowledge capabilities.