If there’s one question that has loomed over past Meta Connect conferences, it’s “what the hell is happening with VR?” Well, we now have an answer. Glasses are happening to VR.

Introducing Meta VR Glasses, which are exactly what they sound like and exactly what leaks leading up to Meta Connect 2026 suggested they would be. While the reveal may be an anticlimax for anyone paying attention to leaks, trying them out is a different story—and, in my experience, a much, much more enjoyable one.

The $1,299 Meta VR Glasses (yes, that’s the name Meta went with) feel, in a lot of ways, like what the Quest has been working toward. They are, as the name suggests, not a headset. Instead, they resemble the form factor of other nascent products like Google and Xreal’s Aura glasses, right down to the compute puck that you have to tether to the glasses to get them to work. Just like a Quest, they offer lots of different experiences, like playing games, watching stuff, and everyone’s favorite… productivity.

The reason “VR” is in the name is because that’s what they do, though mixed reality is more accurate. Unlike smart glasses or AR glasses, they offer an experience that’s fairly close to what you’d get by strapping on a whole headset like a Quest or Vision Pro. And when I say “fairly close,” I mean “fairly close.”

I got to try the Meta VR Glasses in a few different experiences and was surprised and encouraged by a few things.

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