Meta just reinvented virtual reality — with a headset that looks like a big pair of sunglasses. And in a surprise move, the company also launched its first smart glasses with no camera at all.
Both devices were unveiled at the Meta Connect conference in September 2026, and Meta CTO Andrew “Boz” Bosworth sat down with The Sun’s tech editor to explain the thinking behind them.
Meta VR Glasses: sunglasses, not a helmet
The new Meta VR Glasses ditch the bulky ski-goggle look that has defined VR headsets for a decade. Instead, they resemble oversized sunglasses — a design bet that comfort and style matter as much as specs if VR is ever going mainstream.
Bosworth, who leads Meta’s Reality Labs division, framed the device as the culmination of years of work to shrink VR hardware into something people would actually wear in daily life.
Ray-Ban Meta Audio: why the camera vanished
The bigger surprise was the Ray-Ban Meta Audio — the first of Meta’s smart glasses to ship without a camera.
According to Bosworth, the decision came straight from usage data: audio is the number one most-used feature on the Ray-Ban Meta glasses. “People are listening to music, they’re listening to podcasts, they’re doing calls,” he said.
Removing the camera, he explained, freed up budget, weight, and battery: “While we love what the camera can do for people, it comes with a real cost in terms of literally cost, and as well as weight and battery life.”
The result: a cheaper, lighter pair of glasses with better battery life that keeps the speakers, microphones, and Meta AI chat.
Why this matters
Meta is making two bets at once. The VR Glasses bet that VR’s future is fashionable and lightweight. The Ray-Ban Meta Audio bets that most people don’t want a camera on their face — they want great audio and an AI assistant in a normal-looking frame.
If either bet pays off, it reshapes the wearables market that Apple, Google, and Snap are all chasing.
Sources: The Sun / Scottish Sun interview with Andrew Bosworth, September 26, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Ray-Ban Meta Audio glasses have a camera? No — they are Meta’s first smart glasses without a camera. They keep speakers, microphones, and AI chat.
What are the Meta VR Glasses? A new VR headset unveiled at Meta Connect 2026 that looks like oversized sunglasses instead of a bulky headset.
Why did Meta remove the camera? Per CTO Andrew Bosworth: audio is the most-used feature, and dropping the camera improves price, weight, and battery life.