Meta Connect 2025 kicks off on Wednesday with anticipation surrounding new announcements and updates.
This annual conference typically showcases new hardware, software, and content updates, and this year it will be held on September 17 and 18.
In the keynote presentation, Meta indicated that Mark Zuckerberg will “share insights on AI glasses and present Meta’s vision for artificial intelligence and the metaverse.” Last month, Meta’s CTO Andrew Bosworth suggested “exciting wearables announcements” alongside advancements in AI and “metaverse software.”
While Meta has been relatively quiet about specifics, multiple credible reports inform our expectations based on the company’s strategy. However, predictions may not be entirely accurate, with the true surprises awaiting during the Connect keynote.
Smart Glasses
Monocular HUD Glasses
According to sources including Bloomberg and CNBC, Meta plans to unveil smart glasses featuring a heads-up display (HUD) in the right eye, codenamed Hypernova. The glasses will be controlled by finger gestures via a neural wristband, which could accompany the product.
While these glasses won’t be AR, the HUD is expected to display information like time, weather forecasts, notifications, and navigation prompts. It will also facilitate captions and translations for real-world conversations, presenting Meta AI responses as text instead of audio.
Other Glasses Collaborations
Meta recently launched the Oakley Meta HSTN glasses, a more premium version of the Ray-Ban Meta with enhanced recording quality and battery life. Reports indicate further collaboration between Meta and Oakley on the Sphaera glasses, which will feature a centralized camera for improved first-person footage.
Possible Upgrades and Developments
While new HUD glasses will take center stage at Connect 2025, speculation about next-generation Ray-Ban Meta glasses, set for 2026, continues. Reports suggest these might include facial recognition capabilities and prolonged AI session functionality, though the timeline remains uncertain.
Glasses SDK and Meta’s Future Plans
Regardless of the glasses unveiled, expectations include an SDK for developers to create integrations related to smart glasses. Developer sessions at Connect hint at an upcoming toolkit announcement, aimed to enhance functionality for existing and future products. Furthermore, Meta has sought partnerships with third-party developers to craft experimental applications for the new HUD glasses.
Headsets and Horizon OS
No New Quest Headset?
This Connect marks a departure from previous years, as no new Quest headset is expected to be unveiled. Previous plans for a successor to the Quest Pro have been canceled. Instead, the focus may shift toward an ultralight headset anticipated for late 2026, which will run Horizon OS.
Third-party Collaborations
Though Meta isn’t launching a new headset, collaboration with third-party manufacturers such as Asus and Lenovo hints at upcoming devices running Horizon OS. Intel’s planned Asus ROG headset may highlight features like face and eye tracking, though its release timing remains speculative.
Additional Horizon OS Features
A significant enhancement to Horizon OS may soon include system-wide window sharing capabilities, paralleling features in Apple’s visionOS, which is expected to be touched upon during the keynote.
New VR Games?
The likelihood of a blockbuster VR game announcement seems low at this Connect, as Meta has shifted such announcements to summer events lately. However, teasers for sequels to popular games like Batman: Arkham Shadow may still surface.
Meta Connect 2025 will commence with its main keynote streamed at 5 PM PT on Wednesday, followed by a developer keynote the next morning. UploadVR will cover the event for the latest news.
