Meta working on mixed reality device that could launch in 2027

With its Ray-Ban smart glasses proving a success, Meta is said to be working on a new mixed reality device.
It will take some time to hit the market, with reports suggesting it could land in 2027.
The device could weigh as little as 110g as Meta leans into more mixed reality wearables.

Few companies have stuck with virtual, augmented, and mixed reality devices than Meta.

Its Quest headset lineup has been a mainstay in recent years while other brands and offerings have fell away, and its recent collaborative effort with Ray-Ban has proved a relative success when it comes to smart glasses/wearables.

It comes as no surprise then, that Meta is looking at adding a new mixed reality device to the mix, according to a report by The Information (paywall). The new device is said to fit somewhere in-between the current Quest 3 and the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, weighing as much as 110g.

As such, they would be a far sleeker option than the Quest headsets, but bulkier than the Ray-Ban model, which suggests that it would pack more power, features, and functionality.

Along with the reported weight, the mixed reality device would take a leaf out of Apple’s Vision Pro book by adding a tethered external pack that could house a battery and processor. Whether such a unit would be modular, or useable sans pack, remains to be seen.

Also taking some Vision Pro features as inspiration, The Information notes that the in-development device would support video passthrough, along with making use of hand-tracking and eye-tracking for user controls.

Currently codenamed Puffin (no idea why the peculiar bird is used here), we will have to wait quite some time before the new mixed reality device would see the light of day, with a full reveal hinted at some time in 2027.

As for when it would officially head to market, remains unclear, as is where Meta would look to sell such an offering.

Either way, while AI is currently the company’s major focus right now, mixed reality and the metaverse is still something the company has its eyes on.