**Revolutionizing Virtual Reality: Meta's Latest Innovation**

I recently had the opportunity to try out one of the coolest pieces of technology I've ever seen, courtesy of Meta. The company invited me to their campus ahead of Meta Connect this year to experience a cutting-edge innovation that's poised to revolutionize virtual reality.

The tech in question is Orion, a wearable device that integrates a computer into a pair of glasses. Unlike traditional VR headsets like the Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro, which can be bulky and heavy, Orion is sleek and compact. The basic idea behind it is to take something similar to Meta Ray-Bans and build an entire computer inside them.

The result is two small projectors in silicon carbide lenses that display images over the top of the real world. I had the chance to try out Orion in a relatively well-lit room, and while it wasn't perfect, it looked quite good. The image was very bright and saturated, but I still got full passthrough, with minimal tint for the lens.

One of the standout features of Orion is its bracelet, which doesn't act as a hand controller like other VR headsets. Instead, it picks up electrical impulses from your fingers and sends them to the headset. This allows you to use gestures that are similar to those found in AR devices, giving you more flexibility and freedom while wearing the device.

The combination of this technology with eye tracking is particularly impressive. With Orion, you can look at anything and pinch your fingers without having to physically touch them. You can also swipe and navigate through virtual interfaces with ease.

Another notable feature of Orion is its haptic feedback system, which provides a tactile experience when interacting with virtual objects. This is achieved through the bracelet, which gives you a subtle vibration when you tap or interact with something virtually.

While Orion is still in its early stages, it's clear that Meta is developing this technology to create a seamless and immersive VR experience. The device is not yet available for purchase, but if it were, it would likely be incredibly expensive – possibly in the range of $10,000.

In contrast, a more affordable version called Orion S has just been announced at Meta Connect, priced at $299. While it may not offer all the bells and whistles of its predecessor, it still boasts many of the same features and improvements that make Orion so exciting.

As I experimented with Orion, I was struck by how far ahead it is in terms of VR technology. The device's ability to track objects and provide full passthrough is impressive, making it feel like you're wearing a pair of regular glasses with just a slight distortion. The demos I tried were incredibly engaging, from jumping on WhatsApp calls to scrolling through Instagram.

The displays are certainly one of Orion's strongest features, but they're not the only aspect that sets it apart. The tracking system is solid, allowing you to place virtual windows and navigate through environments with ease. You can even look around and tap to interact with objects in 3D space – a feature that feels more advanced than anything I've experienced on previous VR headsets.

One of the demos I tried showcased Meta AI's capabilities, which is built into the device. The demo consisted of a list of ingredients, which I could examine and identify using the Orion S. It was a simple but impressive example of how this technology can be used to augment our daily lives.

In conclusion, Orion is an exciting innovation that's poised to revolutionize virtual reality. While it still has its limitations, the device offers a level of immersion and interactivity that feels more advanced than anything I've experienced before. As Meta continues to develop this technology, we can expect even more impressive features and applications in the future.

The availability of Orion S at an affordable price point makes it an attractive option for consumers looking to upgrade their VR experience without breaking the bank. Whether you're a seasoned VR enthusiast or just starting out, Orion is definitely worth keeping an eye on – and I have no doubt that we'll be seeing more from this exciting technology in the future.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- I just tried one of the coolest piecesof tech I have ever seen.So Meta were very kind and invited me outto their campus ahead ofMeta Connect this yearto try one of the mostinteresting pieces of techthat I have ever gotten my eyes on.Now you're likely familiar with VR,whether it be the Meta Questor realistically even somethinglike the Apple Vision Pro.It is a way to put yourselfin a different environment.It's a very immersive experience,but there are a lot of downsides.It's big, it's heavy.Battery life isn't great.And the passthrough that you see,is entirely based on cameras,which let's be honest are neveras good as the real world.Now, on the other side of the equation,you have something like the Meta Ray-Bans.So, I can easily capture a photo.But Orion is something different.So, the basic idea isthat take something, like Meta Ray-Bans,and build an entire computer in them.First and foremost, you haveactual displays in the lenses,but they're not just likefully passive sort of displays.You have two little projectorsin silicon carbide lenses.And what that means isthat those projectors can display an imageover the top of the real world.And I will say that I used it in a roomthat was relatively welllit and it was good.Now, clearly not perfect.First of all, I need prescription lensesand I didn't- not havecontacts or something,so everything was a little bit blurry.So, I can't really judgejust how sharp it was,but it looked quite good.And importantly it was verybright, it was very saturated,but I still had pretty muchfull passthrough, right?Like the actual level of like tintfor the lens was incredibly low.Like you really did feellike you're just wearing aregular pair of glasses justwith a little bit ofdistortion from the factthat they do have two individual lensesto let all the light through.Now, on top of that, there was a bracelet.The bracelet was not a hand controller,but rather it picks upthe electrical impulsesof your fingers and sendsthat over to the headset.If you've tried somethinglike the Apple Vision.It has cameras facing down,so you can like use likelittle pinch gestures,kind of like at your lap or something.It works really well.But with this, you canhave your hands anywhere.You can have it behind your back.Essentially what it does is,paired with eye tracking,you can look at anythingand just pinch your fingers.You know, you can swipe.And on top of that, itactually has haptic feedback.So as you're tapping stuff,you're feeling it, notonly with the actual factthat your finger istouching your other finger,but you're actually feeling the braceletgive you a little bit of a vibration.Now, there is a separate little puckthat has some of the computing in it,but it's entirely wireless.And honestly it's tiny,you could easily put itin a belt or in a pocket.It was actually quitehigh frame rate, as well.So, it was running at90 hertz on the headset,it's being up sampled from 45via the actual wireless link.It's obviously not acomplete thing, right?Like this is very much sort of gen one.They are not selling this version.I've heard that if they were goingto sell this thing it wouldbe absurdly expensive,like maybe like 10 grandor something, right?But, they're clearlydeveloping this technologyand this is kind of like theend game for all of the VRand AR stuff that Meta havebeen building over the years.Now, they're still making headsets.In fact, they actuallyannounced, at Meta Connect,a new version of the Meta Quest.So there is a brand newMeta Quest, which is,even though it may benot as quite exciting,is really a major step forward.So this is the Meta Quest 3S.This is a $300 versionof the Meta Quest 3.Now, there are some minor sacrifices.It does use similar lenses anda display from the Quest 2,but it does have prettymuch everything elsethat is going to be amatch for the Quest 3,including the same processor,the same full color passthrough.It actually even hassome additional upgradesincluding an IR camera.And while the Quest 3 hasgot a price cut to $500,the Quest 3S is available for $299.And I think that's a really strong value.But, the thing that'smuch more exciting, to me,really is Orion.Now, I was able to try a lot of demos,so I was able to jumpon like a WhatsApp call.I was able to scroll Instagram.First and foremost, thedisplays are really good.But there's a lot of individualpieces layered on top of that.The tracking is really quite solid.So, much like if you'veever used a Meta Questor an Apple Vision, you can put a windowand it will stay there in space.On top of that, you can takeadvantage of looking aroundand tapping to actually navigate,versus something on the Questtoday where you actuallyhave to either use thecontrollers or use your hand.So, definitely feels moreadvanced on that standpoint.You also have Meta AI built in.So, one of the demos I got to try wasthat there was a list of ingredientsand I can look at itand just tell me like,"Hey, gimme a recipe."And not only did it takea look at everythingand sort of create a recipe,but it actually have littletags floating over each item.It's a little bit transparent.So, like if I was talking to someoneand I had a window over their face,I couldn't really see it too much.The fact that it felt likethere was no compromise,I was just wearing aregular pair of glasses.They just happened to let me walk aroundand be like, scrollingInstagram by myself.Like that's a crazy idea.This is the first piece oftech I've seen in so long,where I tried it- I stepped outta the demoand the only thing I couldsay was, "Holy (quack)."And while, the demo I triedwas certainly not perfect,this is a working version of it, right?This is a concept right now,but it seems very clearto me that this is goingto be an actual shippingproduct at some point.Hopefully in the not too distant future.I- this is the first timeI've ever tried a productthat feels like it's a smartphone killer.It really does. And that soundslike a crazy thing to say.And maybe it won't fullyreplace a smartphone.It might not. And you dohave to wear the bracelet,which is going to actually getthat super high fidelity datawhen you're moving your fingers.Like, it's not a super seamlessas just literally putting on glasses.But it's not far off.And I've come away with this thinkingthat all the billionsand billions of dollarsthat Meta has poured intothe Reality Labs project.All the years they'vespent developing the Oculusand the Meta Quest and the Meta Ray-Bans.All these things are comingtogether in the productthat we've all kind of hoped for.And I'm incredibly excited to try Orionwhen it actually comes out.Immediately after my Orion demo,I had the opportunity to interview Boz,who is the chieftechnology officer at Metaand essentially the guy who'smade all of this possible.First of all, thank youso much for taking the time.I'm sure you're incredibly busy this week.If you look at what RealityLabs has done over the last,you know, several years, right?You look at how Quest has evolved.You look at the Meta Ray-Bans,which I think have beena really fascinating,at least from the outside.What's your sort of overallfeeling on kind of where,what you've built is right nowand how that looks likeit's going into the future?- The- an investmenthorizon that we've taken onwith the Reality Labs is pretty uncommon.And so you're looking at, okay,we knew when we started AR work,it was gonna be 10 years to the Orionthat you just got to try.- Yeah.- You expect two things.First of all, along the way you'regonna discover a bunch of thingsthat you thought wouldwork, that don't work.But what's been nice is nowyou're also finding thingsthat you didn't anticipatewhen you started,but because you've beenmaking the investment,you're within striking distancewhen the time is right.And the same has been true for for, yeah,for the Ray-Ban Meta product.We've got this amazing productthat we designed without evena thought to AI, at the time.- Really?- No!The first time we built it, in fact,it wasn't until months beforelaunch that we were like,"You know what? We shouldget our AI assistant in hereand make these AI glasses."It's taken a little disciplineto remind our industrywhat it takes to actuallyinnovate in hardware.- Yeah.- And, and I think, you know,what's fun about the momentwe're in now is you're startingto see where it's going- Really feels like itleads up to Orion, right?Like, so I tried it literallylike five minutes ago.I literally stepped fromthe demo, oh hey, I'm late.Hey, what's up? So where- howlong have you wanted to makethat product and how- I'msure the answer forever.- Yeah.- But like how,at what point did thisstart to come in focus,where you're like, oh, wait a minute,this is starting to come together.This is starting to come together.Where you actually thinklike this is a viable thing?- I have two answers to this question.One of which is we've wanted this forever.We've wanted this as kind of an industryas long as we can imagine it, right?Like, and it goes deepinto the science fiction,you know, history.And also this product was, you know,10 years from when the research started,five years from when officiallythe Orion program started,little over five years.And when we started it,we thought there was a 10-I have all these documentsI was reviewing recently.We have a, we thought we had a 10% chance,less than 10% chance, ofactually being able to build one.You know, as recently as twoyears ago, we were just like,really not sure we could do it.There was like a lot of-it was, it was challenges in the program.We needed some breakthroughs.And then a year ago,was the first time I put onjust the display workings.There was no software stack running yet,so you couldn't see the operating system.And it was magic.You were like, oh my God.Like, we've at least done something here.(Austin laughing)But it wasn't until this summerthat I got to try itwith the system workingthat I kind of had that meaning-that feeling of like,holy (quack) (quack).It's from a consum- from aproduct standpoint, it's ready.It's absolutely ready.It's not the price pointthat I think is readyfor consumers yet.(Austin laughing)So that's like, that's thenext big piece of work to do.And this, what tradeoffs do you have to maketo get there and how do you get there?This- there is a futurebeyond the smartphone.Like there is, I love thesmartphone. Smartphone's amazing.But there is actually a future beyond it.There is even a set of betterthings that we can go do.- I know peoplealways like to go like,"Oh, it was like the first time you didlike a pinch-to-zoom," or something.But it kind of felt likethat to me of like, wow.- Actually it's funny thatyou used pinch-to-zoomas an example.I think the work that Applepioneered on Multitouchand making that feel so naturalto all of us is an analog we look to.I think we look back to Xerox Parkand the work that were doing on mouseand keyboard interactions.And this is one thing,to your point earlierabout how these things cometogether or they don't.There's a tremendoustechnological underpinningthat they share, whichwe're very excited about.And I think with EMG,we're just at the very beginningof what it's capable of.But then there's also, like,how you use them is it can bedescribed in similar terms,but it's different in the same waythat the phone and thelaptop are different.And so when you're outand about in the world,how you wanna interactwith the digital worldis just very different thanhow you do when you're,you know, on a plane, in your house,you know, someplace more stationarywhere you're gonna have a headset on.So, I think like they're both valuable.You can obviously do thingsin virtual and mixed realitythat you can do no other way.Not even with augmented reality glasses.So we also like, are tryingnot to overly homogenize themand let them be what they naturally wantto be on their own terms.There they are, yeah, here we go.- Oh my- that's what itlooks like on the inside.- Yeah, we gotta do the wideshot for these ones, guys.(Boz chuckles)This is, these ones actuallyhave a problem, which is the,the plastic that we hadto use to make these clearis thermally not as conducive.- Yeah.- So these ones,they work in the sense thatlike you can turn them on,but they actually willpower down pretty quicklybecause the thermals aren't right.This version doesn't havewhat's called disparity correction.So as your lenses flexrelative to one another,we don't want the image,to like, go blurry on you.So we wanna keep them stacked.The next version that we're buildingdoes have disparity correction.And so, this stack righthere gets much thinner,actually about half as thick.- Oh, wow.- 'Cause the protector comesin from the back at that point.What's crazy about this, is you see,this is the Steve Jobs test, right?Where he took the iPod andhe threw it in the fish tankand was like, there's bubbles.That means there's air inthere. There's no bubbles.Like you throw this thing in a fish tank,you're not gonna see anything.- You're doing a fair bit of processing?I know obviously you've got thiswhich is where the majority of batteryand processing is happening.- That's right.But you're still doing, my understanding,is some of the like actualdetection when it comesto like the cameras withhaving to pass through.- That's right and the reprojection- Reprojection.- Because we couldn'tdeal with the latencyof your head moving is toogreat to send it to the puckand back.- I was gonnasay, I did not reallydetect a whole lot of latency.Like there's like thePong game especially,or the game where youwere shooting at the-- Yeah, Stargazer.- Stargazer, yeah. I wasjust like playing that.It's like you're like divingand ducking your head around.It's like it felt really quick.It reminds me of did youever play the Vectrex?- Yeah, of course.- Yeah! That reminded me.I was being like, oh, thisfeels like the Vectrex.Or obviously, like you know,it's like an Atari 2600,or something.- Totally.- But in the best way,'cause it's floating.It's like the wholething is like fully 3D.- I always try toundersell and over deliver.I just think it's the mostadvanced consumer electronicswe've ever tempted as a species.It's crazy. Like, it's like-- That's cool thing to say.- How much stuff is in there?- What's the next step?Like what, what do you,what do you need to doto get this into people's hands?Whether it's developers orbeta testers or me or you know.- Totally. Absolutely. Yeah, that's right.Next goal is to get itto be cost effective.We've gotta get it to a pricepoint where people feel like,okay, this is something that I can, like,even though there- it's earlyand there's not a hugenumber of kind of softwarethat for it yet.Not a big developer system for it yet.Like I'm getting value of it.So, there's a bunch of trade offsthat we will have to consideras we look at the next generation.We are well on our way.We actually have, not justthe one next generation,we have two next generation productsthat are already in development.Now, you know, with us,you've seen the rumors.Some of them will make it to production,some of them will not.But we have many, many prototypesthat were stacked following this one.- Actually, are there cameras on-(Boz chuckles)Why are there cameras on the the puck?- This is where we're gonna getreal exclusive content here.- Ooh, excellent.- In an earlier version of this,we were trying to play with,what else could we want this thing to do?And so, yeah, you know,using it as like a camerawhere it's like, hey, it'syou put this on the table,but we've actually been finding outthat the most importantthing we can do with this,is we can not worry about it.- Yeah, yeah.(Austin laughs)- It's like the number one goalthat we have for this one is like,yep, have it somewhere nearbyand just don't worry about it.And then for the most part,focus on the interactionsthat you're having naturally with that.So, there's like one lessfussy thing to deal with.- That's phenomenal. Thank youso much for taking the time.- Thanks for having me.- If you have an extraOrion floating around,I volunteer as a beta tester.- So kind of you, so generous.(Austin laughs)Yeah, absolutely.- I had some questions.The version that I tried certainlywas not final, in any way, whatsoever.I think the price is probablygonna be the big one.The lenses, while they'reincredibly impressive,are also probably not gonnabe what they're going to ship.And there was a little bit,because there's twopieces of silicon carbide,you can see a little bitof like kind of reflectionsin between the two lenses.So, it is not a 100% match forjust, you know, real glasses.And the holograms aren'tlike completely real,but like it's pretty close.And honestly, I amincredibly excited to seewhat this thing looks likewhen they finally ship it.(funky music)