Meta Unveils $299 Quest 3S VR Headset And Orion AR Glasses Prototype

Meta has unveiled the $299 Quest 3S, a cheaper virtual reality headset, alongside showcasing a prototype of its Orion AR glasses at the company's Connect event. The Quest 3S, set to be released on October 15, is a more affordable alternative to the Quest 3, which was priced at $499. Meta is positioning the headset as a multitasking device that can handle various apps simultaneously, competing with Apple's $3,499 Vision Pro. Meta has also introduced new features for its Meta AI chatbot and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

At the event, Meta also demonstrated its Orion AR glasses, a prototype aimed at eventually producing lightweight consumer AR glasses that overlay digital graphics onto real-world environments. This prototype uses neural signal detection for control, a technology derived from Meta's acquisition of CTRL-Labs in 2019.

Additionally, Meta revealed updates to its Meta AI chatbot, which now includes voice interactions and celebrity-generated voices, challenging OpenAI's ChatGPT. The new features are part of Meta’s efforts to dominate the growing AI space, supported by its Llama 3.2 AI model.