What to Expect at Meta Connect This Week

New Glasses and a Possible Headset Reveal

The Information reports (opens in a new tab) that Meta could unveil camera-free Luna glasses and Phoenix, with a lifelike calling demo planned. These remain unconfirmed.

Phoenix is the headset to watch. Researcher Luna’s firsthand account of development hardware (opens in a new tab) describes a slim, glasses-shaped device connected to a separate computing puck. It uses camera passthrough to show the room around you, rather than transparent lenses like see-through AR glasses.

That design could make a headset easier to wear for a film or a long stretch at a virtual screen. The tradeoff is carrying another piece of hardware and staying connected to it by a cable. Final weight, price, and availability still need an official announcement.

Meta’s own Unity workshop listing (opens in a new tab) now explicitly refers to getting developers ready for “Meta VR Glasses.” It does not identify those glasses as Phoenix, but it is a concrete sign that this form factor is part of the event’s developer plans.

More Apps for AI Glasses

The Thursday agenda (opens in a new tab) includes sessions on building for AI glasses, updates to the Wearables Device Access Toolkit, and a partner discussion about glasses apps. A separate hands-on workshop is dedicated to building for the devices.

This is where new frames could become more useful. For developers, the practical questions are which parts of the glasses their apps can access, which models support them, and how people will find those experiences. The sessions should offer more detail than a stage demonstration alone.

There is also a longer-range hardware possibility. Earlier reporting from The Information (opens in a new tab) described plans for a smartwatch and updated display glasses in 2026. Neither has a confirmed Connect announcement.

AI and Quest Updates

The schedule names Muse Spark sessions and an open-weight model called Muse Glimmer for local AI agents. Those listings make AI development a confirmed part of Connect, although the keynote’s specific announcements remain unknown.

The VR sessions cover Unity and Unreal updates, bringing mobile and web apps to headsets, and changes to the Horizon Store. Meta’s Unity workshop specifically names XR Operator, Meta VR CLI, and Performance Agent as tools for reducing repetitive testing and debugging.

When to Watch

The keynote is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23 at 4 p.m. Pacific, or 7 p.m. Eastern, according to coverage of Zuckerberg’s event announcement (opens in a new tab). The official agenda lists the Developer State of the Union for Thursday, September 24 at 10 a.m. Pacific.

You can watch through the Meta Connect site (opens in a new tab), with developer sessions following on Thursday. Wednesday should provide the product news; Thursday is where developers get a closer look at what they can build with it.