What to expect from Meta Connect 2024: Affordable Quest 3, AR glasses, and more

Meta’s annual Connect conference is almost here, and if you’re interested in new hardware, you’re in luck.

While a large portion of the conference will likely focus on the company’s AI efforts, at least two devices should debut: a new Quest headset and new smart glasses.

Also: Why Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses are my favorite tech purchase this year

First up, if you’ve been on the fence about trying out the Meta Quest 3 and the recent $25-a-month deal wasn’t enough, good news is coming: a more affordable, slimmed-down version of the Quest 3 is apparently on the way. 

We don’t know precisely what the difference between the Quest 3 and the new headset will be (its rumored name is the 3S), as Meta has been tight-lipped, and there haven’t been any leaks either, but we can take some guesses at what it won’t be.

Given that full color passthrough is one of the Quest 3’s biggest leaps from the Quest 2, it would be strange to see Meta take a step back from that, and it’s also probably not a smaller storage version, as the 128GB size already isn’t enough for some people.

Mark Gurman says the 3S will likely cost between $300 and $400, which is at least $100 off the $500 price point of the Quest 3. Meta’s biggest advantage over Apple’s Vision Pro up to this point is the price difference, and this new device only widens that gap.

Meta’s other big hardware announcement, Gurman says, will be a preview of its in-development augmented reality (AR) smart glasses. Glasses aren’t new territory for Meta, as it has partnered with Ray-Ban to produce smart glasses, but those aren’t AR. 

Also: Meta Quest 3 review: The VR headset most people should buy in 2024

Given that introducing AR involves adding a camera, more computing power, and perhaps a display of some sort, creating lightweight AR glasses that can be worn all day isn’t an easy task, Gurman points out. He adds that since Apple has struggled with doing that, Meta seems to be ahead.

The plan for this year’s Connect conference seems to be for Meta to show off new AI software that will power the current Ray-Bans, introduce a few new color options and styles for the Ray-Bans, and show off a prototype of its eventual AR glasses.

Meta Connect 2024 will take place September 25-26.