Meta's Orion AR Glasses: A Bold Step into the Metaverse Despite Challenges
Meta Unveils Orion AR Glasses at Connect 2024, Showcasing Metaverse Investment
Meta, formerly known as Facebook, unveiled its highly anticipated Orion AR glasses at the Meta Connect 2024 developer conference, marking a significant milestone in the company’s metaverse ambitions. The reveal comes amid scrutiny over Meta’s substantial investments in virtual and augmented reality technologies, which have resulted in over $50 billion in losses since 2019.
During the conference, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg reaffirmed his long-term vision for the metaverse, emphasizing the importance of demonstrating tangible outcomes from the company’s substantial investments. Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, described the unveiling as an emotional moment, highlighting the challenges faced in developing cutting-edge AR glasses.
The Reality Labs division, responsible for Meta’s metaverse initiatives, reported a $4.48 billion loss in the second quarter of 2024, with expectations of increasing losses year-over-year. Despite these financial setbacks, Meta remains committed to its AR and VR pursuits.
The Orion AR glasses, while groundbreaking, currently come with a hefty production cost of $10,000 per pair. Meta estimates it will take three to five years to scale down costs sufficiently for mass production. Bosworth emphasized the importance of showcasing the vision now, even if the product is not yet ready for consumer release.
The unveiling serves multiple purposes for Meta. It provides a proof point for investors and technologists, encourages developers to invest in Meta’s platform, and demonstrates a clear connection to the company’s existing Quest mixed-reality headsets.
Zuckerberg views AR as the next major computing platform, drawing parallels to the iPhone era. Having missed opportunities during the shift from PC to smartphones, Meta is determined to lead with its software and hardware ecosystem in the AR space.
The reveal also positions Meta in direct competition with Apple, which recently announced its Apple Vision Pro. While Apple’s device targets the high-end market, Meta’s Quest lineup aims for broader accessibility. Both companies are working towards developing cheaper, lighter AR devices for mass adoption.
As Meta acknowledges Apple as its primary competitor in this space, the Orion AR glasses represent a potential successor to the smartphone. Despite the current challenges, Bosworth expressed optimism about the future of Orion and Meta’s role in shaping the next era of computing.
