Meta has introduced VR Glasses that weigh about 100 grams and will cost $1,299.99 when they go on sale in spring 2027. The two-part design shifts the battery, processor and storage into a tethered puck, leaving far less hardware on the wearer’s face.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman argues that this is the tradeoff Apple should have made with Vision Pro. After using Meta’s device for nearly an hour, he reported that its clip-on module felt less cumbersome than Apple’s external battery and that the glasses were surprisingly refined for pre-release hardware.
Meta moved the heaviest parts off the face
Meta’s official announcement confirms the 100-gram weight, tethered compute puck, 5K micro-OLED display and up to three hours of media playback. The company also says any flat surface can work as a virtual keyboard and touchpad. Apple rates the current Vision Pro for up to two and a half hours of general use or three hours of video playback.
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The lighter design comes with compromises. Gurman found that Vision Pro offered a wider field of view, stronger light blocking, automatic eye-spacing adjustment and more polished software. Meta’s glasses use a more open design, and the model he tried admitted light from above even with optional seals attached.
Those differences make this less of a simple specification win than a test of priorities. Meta is accepting narrower immersion to reduce the cost and weight that have limited headsets in daily use. Apple has instead emphasized visual quality and an all-in-one experience.
MacObserver has previously compared Vision Pro with Meta Quest 3S and tracked reports that the M5 update did not revive sales. Meta VR Glasses now put a more direct challenge in front of Apple: whether premium immersion is worth substantially more weight and money. Meta’s glasses also remain months from release, so final software and comfort cannot yet be judged.
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