Refresh
That's a wrap folks
Meta Ray-Ban Display first impressions: the new smart glasses king? Plus Oakley Meta Vanguard & more - YouTube
With that all covered that's a wrap on this Connect live blog.
Thanks for hanging with me folks as I chug coffee and do my best to cover the Meta Connect keynote as it happens live (hopefully with only a few typos sneaking in).
We're not done covering the announcements here at TechRadar, there are plenty of posts up on the site that go into more details about the showcase and a bunch of videos dropping across our YouTube and TikTok channels.
Have a good rest of your night, it's 2:33am here in the UK so I'm off to bed!
James Cameron tried to spoil everything
James Cameron may be a superb filmmaker but let's be real, the interview with him took the wind out of Connect's sails somewhat.
The only exciting parts were when he kept trying to spoil Meta's next VR headset. He almost let everything slip, but he didn't quite ruin Connect 2026.
We very much wish he had.
VR software updates
Meta also promised some VR software updates, though these features felt kinda overshadowed by the barrage of big smart glasses announcements.
To recap them: Meta promised a new AI agent for its Horizon Studio app that should help you build whole VR worlds with just a few text prompts, and the new Horizon Engine should make VR worlds look better and load faster.
Meta also teased a new video hub app that will include Disney Plus content, though it didn't go into as much detail as I was hoping it would.
Live demo fails
Alongside learning about Meta's new smart glasses we learned why you try to avoid live demos, as there were a lot of fails...
Here's some TikTok clips of things going wrong for Meta so you can soak in the schadenfreude.
Of course the star of the show was the new Meta display glasses, and their neural band companion.
Lance had the chance to demo them and from the looks of things he loves them, saying "I wore Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses – they succeed in almost every way Google Glass failed."
Lance loved Google Glass back when it launched so this is high praise indeed.
Oakley Vanguard
Then we had the Oakley Vanguard specs. Smart glasses deisgned specially for athletes.
To help you understand more we have a full guide on all the ways they’re better than the HSTN glasses for sports including Garmin integration and better water and dustproof ratings.
Ray-Ban Gen 2 made their debut
First up we had the Gen 2 Ray-Ban smart glasses.
If you want an in-depth guide to the biggest changes we have this handy piece about the 5 key Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 upgrades you need to know about.
Get ready for some cool looking limited edition frames too.
Okay then.
That was a bit of an anticlimactic finale, but let's go back to the beginning and recap everything we saw using some excellent videos we recorded ahead of the show!
2025-09-18T01:00:13.126Z
That is how it ends. Not quite the one last thing I was hoping for I'll be honest.
One last live demo
Mark Zuckerberg is promisng one last live demo with legendary DJ Diplo.
They're running over to the Connect after party, using the new Vanguard glasses... is this how Connect ends?
2025-09-18T00:56:32.040Z
An exclusive Avatar: Fire and Ash 3D clip is coming to Quest. Great.
2025-09-18T00:55:16.835Z
This better be building to something.
I'm watching the stream view count drop and drop proving I'm not the only person who's a bit bored right now.
2025-09-18T00:52:10.289Z
Cameron is leaking hardware left and right. He really wants to talk about Meta's upcoming headsets.
Do it James, tell us all about the Quest 4! It's just us and the thousands watching the stream live. We can keep a secret.
2025-09-18T00:48:40.851Z
Some big Quest glazing going on right now. The way Cameron is talking it sounds like the only way to watch films is on Quest.
2025-09-18T00:47:11.760Z
Cameron once agin talked about "what's coming down the line" with regard to new VR hardware. Will we get a new VR headset this year?
James Cameron is in the building
James Cameron has joined Meta Connect to talk about his love of 3D filmmaking, this better be building to more 3D films coming to Quest.
I'm praying it will, let's see what he teases.
VR video hub?! Yes please
Meta is launching a brand new entertainment hub which includes content from Disney Plus and Blumhouse, and it'll support Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision.
Also there was talk of 3D effects, will we finally get an easy way to watch 3D films on Quest? I hope so!
2025-09-18T00:41:23.997Z
MARVEL's DEADPOOL VR SPOTTED!
Things are getting technical, but basically Meta is launching some high-end room scanning and improved immersive home renderings to make virtual spaces look better and load faster (four times faster according to Zuckerberg).
Meta Horizon Studio
This app is getting an agentic AI assitant that can combine tools to create whole words from simple text prompts, this is one we'll need to try out for ourselves!
2025-09-18T00:36:36.979Z
AI creating immersive VR content, this is something I've been wondering if we'll get from Meta, and it sounds like it's about to deliver.
2025-09-18T00:34:40.439Z
The first Meta AI glasses with a display will be landing on September 30, at $799. Again, just like the leaks predicted.
Agentic AI
Live AI will also be available on the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses.
Start a session and the specs can see what you see, hear what you hear, then come back and help you later. This demo isn't live but based on the preprepared clips it looks like it might be kinda handy for following up on details later.
A folding case
Ooo, that case is nice. It can fold down flat which should make it much easier to carry around while you wear the specs.
Live captions
Now we have a live subtitles demo, which should be handy for people who are hard of hearing.
This one worked very well.
2025-09-18T00:28:28.662Z
At least the music request worked, you win some, you lose some.
Fairplay to Mark Zuckerberg, he is playing this off very well despite some failures. I'm still impressed by the specs even with some tech troubles.
2025-09-18T00:26:56.069Z
A video call fail? Mark Zuckerberg keeps trying to answer a video call but is messing it up, or is it another Wi-fi problem?
2025-09-18T00:24:58.687Z
This looks seriously impressive, Zuckerberg just wrote a message using his hand motions and the band. The demo worked this time!
Neural band explained
The Meta neural band is basically a controller for the specs. t has 18 hours of battery life and can pick up on your subtle hand motions so you can manipulate what you see on screen, and even type out messages.
Let's watch the live demo...
2025-09-18T00:22:52.764Z
The full-color display appears in one eye, and looks to be full-color, just as the leaks promised.
They boast a 42pixel-per-degree resolution which should mean the screen is sharp too. I believe that's sharper than the Quest 3.
Meta's first consumer glasses with a display are here, and they have a neural band controller!
2025-09-18T00:20:29.714Z
Preorders for Vanguard are live now ahead of October 21st, with prices starting at $499.
Redbull putting them to the test
Meta promises these specs are hardier than their other models with an IP67 rating for water and dust protection.
It's now showing us a clip of Redbull athletes putting the Vanguard specs through their paces.
Garmin and Strava integration
Vanguard will be able to pair with Garmin hardware and Strava software so you can find out stats while on the run using your voice, and create and share clips from your run with your followers.
Exciting.
2025-09-18T00:17:00.002Z
I'd love to test that claim out. Zuckerberg claims "you can basically be standing in a wind tunnel and still come through clearly on the other side" when on a call using these Vanguard specs.
2025-09-18T00:16:06.056Z
Two marathons on a single charge? Either you're running a quick marathon Mark or these specs can truly go the distance.
We have new Oakleys too, the visor style that was leaked before Connect.
Price confirmed
The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are available now, what?!
And they start at $379, a slightly higher price than the existing model.
2025-09-18T00:13:08.675Z
We have a live cooking demo from Live AI showing a chef try to use the AI to prep a meal, but a "wi-fi problem" means we've had to cut it short... oops.
2025-09-18T00:11:33.148Z
Some AI updates are coming too.
This includes Live AI, which will be an always on AI that you can currently rely on for an hour of use. 23 hours shy of the "all day" use Zuckerberg is hoping to achieve one day.
Conversation focus
As I predicted the new glasses have a bigger battery and better camera.
They also have new features like conversation focus which is the ability to amplify converstaions you're having in real life. Best of all this audio boost is coming to older models via a software update!
2025-09-18T00:07:29.202Z
Lightweight and comfortable glasses are definitely a must, I've tried so many smart spoecs that are awful to wear for longer than an hour. Zuckerberg is definitely onto something here.
2025-09-18T00:05:35.436Z
Zuck is hyping up glasses, I think we're in for a specs heavy show folks.
What a tease
"We'll talk about these in a minute."
Tell us about the AR glasses Mark!
2025-09-18T00:03:09.630Z
Mark Zuckerberg is on stream, and he's using AR glasses. We can see his perspective and it looks pretty great!
Away we go
Meta Connect 2025 has begun, let's see what Meta has in store for us!
The show is about to begin
New text has replaced the timer saying "The show is about to begin," let's buckle in folks!
Instagram head spotted
Lance has spotted Adam Mosseri is in attendance. He's the head of Instagram, so maybe some cool Instagram integrations are coming to Meta's new tech.
10 minute warning
We are (according to the onscreen timer) 10 minutes away from Meta Connect's start.
This is your final warning: get a drink, go to the bathroom, grab some snacks (I've got a coffee and a pack of Oreos if you're interested). Once the event starts we'll be locked in for the whole thing.
We can't wait!
The audience is filling up
Lance has sent us more snaps from Connect, and the audience is now a lot more full. We're getting closer to the start time and our excitement is definitely building.
WE ARE LIVE
This is it folks. The Meta Connect stream is live!
You can check it out in the video I've embeded above, or head to Meta's Facebook page to watch it there.
The audience is getting ready
The audience is filing into the Connect keynote based on images we've been sent by Lance Ulanoff, our man on the ground at Meta's conference.
We've still got 40 minutes to go, but everyone is getting reday for what might be Meta's biggest event in years.
Ray-Ban website is down
The Ray-Ban webpage for its Meta smart glasses is currently down with a banner reading "We'll be back soon!"
Sounds like it's preparing some updates to its smart glasses line up. I wonder what they could be...
One hour to go!
We're one hour away from Meta Connect 2025, and the excitemnet is palpable.
There are reports a pre show might be inbound so we're refreshing the Meta Connect page to see when or if that goes live soon.
"Stay tuned to see what else drops"
Meta's livestream still isn't live but it did just post this fun video showing some fun edits of clips shot on its smart glasses.
The post tells us to "Stay tuned to see what else drops" and I can't help but feel this is once again teasing the arrival of new smart glasses!
If you want to tune into Meta Connect for yourself and not just read along with our live blog, what's the best way to do that?
Well, you'll want to head to Meta Connect's page on Meta.com. This will show you the timetable for today and tomorrow's festivities, as well as give you a link to watch the keynote live on Meta's Facebook page.
Unfortuantely the stream isn't live at the time of posting this, but it should be up in a couple of hours.
Meta Connect approaches
We're less than 3 hours from Meta Connect 2025's opening keynote!
I've recapped some of the details of what I think we'll see at the vent this year, but you should also check out this YouTube video where I dive into my Connect predictions.
Meta's next smart glasses?! 4 things we'll see at Meta Connect 2025. - YouTube
Admittedly it's a little out of date, but it's still a fantastic watch!
Another software update I'll be on the lookout for at Connect will be Augemnets.
These mixed reality decorations were teased all the way back in 2023 when the Meta Quest 3 debuted as a way to bring virtual elements into your home. You could set up a permant portal to your favorite VR game, hang up a digital calendar on your wall to keep track of events, or just place a rad digital sculpture.
Unfortunately Augemnets have yet to materialize with Meta's CTO explaining earlier this year that Meta "went back to the drawing board" on Augments to make them work better, which has also meant rebuilding the system "from the ground up" leading to delays (via UploadVR).
Hopefully today's the day we see Augments finally make their debut.
Will Deadpool steal the show?
Moving away from hardware, while I don't think VR headsets will get much of the spotlight I wouldn't be surprised if we got a release date for the next Meta Quest exclusive: Deadpool VR.
Marvel’s Deadpool VR | Official Story Trailer | Meta Quest Platforms - YouTube
Neil Patrick Harris voices the merc with a mouth in what looks set to be a chaotic sandbox shooter which will see Deadpool hunt down a wide cast of Marvel characters, while spouting his usual wise cracks.
The game is meant to land sometime this year, and with only three months left of 2025 Meta is running out of time to tell us when this game will launch beyond simply dropping it as a surprise end of the year treat for us.
There is another?
I'm reusing this leaked image to highlight a third pair of new smart glasses I think are hidden in plain sight: a new generation of Ray-Bans without a display.
I've been speculating such a pair of glasses will be revealed at Connect for some time now, ever since Meta launched its Oakley HSTN glasses that come with an upgraded battery and camera compared to the Ray-Bans that launched back in 2023.
The image above doesn't immediately suggest the displayless Ray-Bans are getting an upgrade save for one subtle detail; Meta has yet to produce Ray-Ban smart glasses in an opaque blue frame like the one we see in the image.
This could just be cluing us into new styles coming the to Ray-Bans we alreday know and love, but my money is on a second generation of Ray-Bans as frankly it just makes too much sense – what with the HSTN upgrades, and incoming competition from rivals like Android XR in 2026 meaning Meta will want to put its best foot forward.
Sportier Oakley specs?
In the picture below (and the one above) which Meta itself leaked before today's event you'll see a pair of smart glasses that look like a visor. I'm confident these are the Oakley Sphaera smart glasses that were teased earlier this year.
According to the rumors these smart specs are made specially for athletes. The sporty visor looks ideal for elite runners or cyclists, but I'm hoping we also see some exciting tech built into the glasses (perhaps even a built-in heart rate monitor like what we've seen from the new Apple AirPods Pro 3), and an improved AI sports coach to help users up their fitness game while wearing these smart glasses.
Interetsingly these glasses seem to shift the camera from the wearer's temple to the center of the specs which should be handy for using them as an action cam as you'll have a better idea of the perspective the specs will be capturing. When the camera is closer to just one eye the perspective can be a little offset and tricky to guage unless you use the glasses plenty.
We mentioned in a post earlier that Meta might have actually spoiled its own Connect announcements thanks to a video it posted to its YouTube account this week.
The video showcased a few different glasses designs including the hotly anticipated Meta Ray-Bans with a display.
While the leaked advert teased a few details like a full-color screen which can provide useful info on a heads up display like a map for dicrections or real-time translations it didn't reveal their full specs, nor how much the glasses would cost.
These are questiosn we're hoping Meta will answer at Connect in a few hours.
2025-09-17T18:09:06.756Z
Howdy folks, Hamish Hector checking in and taking over the live blog. I'll be with you until Meta Connect wraps up (so for the next eight hours or so).
Here at TechRadar I cover all things tech as part of our news team, but specialize in XR gadgets which includes VR headsets and smart glasses (basically the sort of tech we'll see at Connect today).
As we approach the event's start time (5pm PST which here in the UK is 1am BST, yuck) I'll keep clueing you in on what I expoect we'll see, and as the festivities kick off we'll see if the leaks and my speculation are correct.
Prepare for next-gen Ray-Ban Meta glasses
There's going to be lots of new smart glasses tech on show later – the rumored Ray-Ban Meta Displays and new wristband for gesture controls seem likely, for starters. But the frames most people are likely to buy are still the standard Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses – and there's a good chance we'll see an updated pair of those, too.
Back in July, we saw a leak picked up by UploadVRthat apparently showed renders for next-generation glasses. There were two models, with a pair of smart sunnies codenamed 'Aperol' and some prescription eyewear called 'Bellini'. You're making us thirsty, Meta.
These could well be different from the upgrades we'll see today, but a new pair of Meta's original collab with Ray-Ban seems a good bet, since it's been a couple of years since they originally launched. Hopefully, the battery life, cameras and design will get a refresh if so, without adding too much to the price tag.
A glimpse of what we could see
Meta certainly doesn't have the VR and AR space completely to itself – Snap is also turning itself into a surprisingly strong contender for the latter, as my colleague Hamish Hector discovered recently.
In a preview with Snap's upgraded operating system for its Spectacles AR glasses, he was left convinced that "AR glasses will likely be the next big thing". Snap OS 2.0 can give you tips on how to use objects in your vision, offers genuinely useful help with live translations and, naturally, serves up some pretty decent gaming experiences too.
With Snap promising to "introduce lightweight immersive Specs to the public next year", it'll be interesting to see how Meta responds today. Check out our full report on Snap's quiet move into becoming an AR powerhouse while you wait for Meta's keynote, it's well worth a read. Or you can also watch the video below for a glimpse of what it's like wearing them.
What won't we see at Connect 2025?
NEW: Details on the upcoming ASUS ROG VR headset running Meta Horizon OS.It is codenamed Tarius, and will likely be one of the first 3P Horizon OS HMDs to ship.It is planned to include Eye Tracking and Face Tracking. The displays will be QD-LCD with local dimming or µOLED. pic.twitter.com/K5pYxcBK4hJanuary 12, 2025
If you're more a fan of VR headsets than smart glasses, there's been mixed news in the rumors for this year's Connect.
On the downside, it's highly unlikely that we'll see a Meta Quest 4. In fact, it's reportedly been delayed until 2027, so you can cross that one off your bingo card (barring a major shock).
Still, there's a chance we could hear more about the rumored Asus Tarius VR headset instead. TechRadar's AR/VR expert Hamish Hector called it "the headset of my dreams" earlier this year, with the specs pointing to a high-end VR gaming headset.
That will also likely mean a high price, but an appearance from the "performance gaming headset" that Meta announced last year following its partnership with Asus ROG would be a very welcome substitute for Quest 4 news later. Fingers crossed.
It's still over seven hours until Mark Zuckerberg takes the stage at Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, California. But like the tech bloodhound he is, TechRadar's Editor At Large Lance Ulanoff is already on the ground and hunting for news.
So far, we haven't spotted much apart from the branded banners above, but Lance is on-brand in his Ray-Ban Meta glasses – and will be bringing us any last-minute leaks and rumors straight from the show.
A last-minute hint from Zuck
Firstly, let's take a moment to appreciate Mark Zuckerberg's profile photo on Threads. Is he planning a WWE guest appearance soon?
Cryptically, the Meta CEO also posted the emoji-heavy message above about Connect 2025. Is it hinting at gesture controls? One of the big rumors has been the arrival of a new wristband for the new Meta Rya-Ban Display glasses, which would offer just that.
That's our best guess here, but let us know if you can crack the code.
Meta has given us a taste of what's coming today by accidentally publishing a video on its socials – and my cynical side says yesterday's 'leak' was very conveniently timed.
Still, it does seem to confirm the rumors that today's event is going to be pretty fun – particularly if you like smart glasses. Two shoo-ins appear to be the Meta Ray-Ban Display (the long-awaited smart glasses with a small screen) and new Oakley pair with a visor-style design that seemingly moves the camera from the temple to the nose.
These are interesting for different reasons. The Ray-Ban Display promises features like an on-screen map for directions – for me, that's one of the killer smart glasses features I've been waiting for. The display is also handy for translations. The Oakley pair, meanwhile, sound much better for sport, particularly with that centered camera – watch out, GoPro.
In short, here's what the leaks and rumors suggest we could see later:
- Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses
- Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3)
- Oakley Meta Sphaera Glasses
- A new smartwatch / wristband
What happened last year?
Is this your first Meta Connect? Here's a recap of last year to give you an idea of what's coming.
Firstly, don't surprised if there's a delay – last year, Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage a little after the scheduled start time.
Still, once he arrived, he rolled off a decent list of announcements. We got our first glimpse of the Orion AR glasses, Meta's first holographic spectacles that are controlled with a wristband. Expect to hear more about those today.
We also saw the launch of the Meta Quest 3S, which we branded the "world's best affordable VR headset" despite having inferior displays to its pricier Quest 3 sibling. Inevitably, we also got plenty of Meta AI news, including a new voice mode for its AI chatbot and AI image generation for Facebook and Instagram.
Personally, I'm not too fussed about Meta's AI innovations compared to its Quest and smart glasses tech. Fortunately, it sounds like Connect 2025 is going to go pretty big on the latter...
Hello, and welcome to our Meta Connect 2025 liveblog. I think this is going to be the most hardware-packed Connect event for a few years, so it's definitely going to be worth a watch – whatever your thoughts on Meta and Mark Zuckerberg.
I'll be taking you through what we can expect to see, the last-minute leaks and what this all means for smart glasses. Meta may have made a few missteps (remember the metaverse, anyone?), but you can't deny it's the current leader in face-mounted tech.
Let's take a look at what's likely coming our way in just under nine hours' time...
English (US) ·