It’s HoloLens reinvented I guess.

What problem does it solve? I see a bunch of potential uses but I don’t see any problems looking to be solved.

Will I like gaming better if I control the games with my hands instead of a controller?

Will I like working in my glasses better than my laptop screen? Or even a dual laptop screen like a ZenBook Duo? Or a cheap second portable display? Do these glasses fit better in a backpack than a laptop and a second portable screen? They can’t collapse flat.

Are these glasses more portable and convenient than a smartphone? What are the benefits to watching an NBA game on this compared to a phone or my TV screen at home?

I can’t believe Meta is blowing their money on this stuff still.

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numpad0 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I think this is a big stopgap until an actual transparent AR glasses and an admission that Meta and the entire AR industry have no instant next quarter solution for shortcomings of Meta Ray-Ban Display.

The geometric waveguide technology used in the Display glasses is quite complicated and costly, the birdbath optic that Xreal uses is stupid, so to speak, and various holographic solutions used by Even Realities and likes is not so spectacular in light loss(IIUC the fancy term is "quantum efficiency"), as well as multi color feasibility(needs 3 layers with separate image sources).

Prior to now we didn't know if Meta will be doing a Display 2 or Quest 4, or if they plan to do something else. This is that something else.

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daemonologist 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Rumor is they are going to do a Quest 4 (late next year).

I agree that these seem like a stopgap short of the thing everyone wants - Vision Pro specs (ahaha) in a pair of regular glasses.

Personally, as a glasses-wearer, I'm not quite convinced it's the right target though - even my 20 gram glasses are uncomfortable to wear all day and I take them off whenever they're not needed. I'd rather have a ski-goggle device (similarly light, but with the weight more evenly distributed, and still with optical see-through) with fewer performance compromises. Of course that wouldn't let the manufacturer dominate "the next form of personal computing" or whatever.

	▲	Groxx 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yeah, I've switched to ultra-light rimless glasses and I really do not want to go back. I no longer have sore nose-pad dents at the end of the day. (I have a fairly strong prescription, so the literal glass in my glasses does weigh a fair bit more than for most people. Yay modern optional media! It's so much nicer than it used to be)

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frmersdog 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

They had to get something out to undercut Snap finally formally entering the market with a consumer product. That's my read. Their entire strategy for years has been doing whatever they can to box-out potential XR space competitors.

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foldshift 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I might consider them if I can wire it to my laptop. I use the meta quest for development because of infinite virtual screens and due to my apartment being so small I can't fit a proper desk and office chair. But still is a very niche usage, if I had space I would very likely get a desk with a dual or triple monitor setup. If the resolution is good, it is actually nice to have a very portable infinite screen setup if you travel a lot.

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mardef 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

You can do this already with xreal glasses for like 1/4 of the price

https://us.shop.xreal.com/products/xreal-xbx-a01

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foldshift 5 hours ago | parent [-]

Thanks, i will check it out. I think I did a couple years ago but mac os support was bad at the time? I don't quite remember, but this seems great now. Do you have one? Any experience with using it for work on mac os with multiple virtual screens?

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drcode 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

fwiw unlike the other person, I use it for hours with my macbook and have no complaints. you will like it if regular vr makes you feel claustrophobic/isolated, since you still see the real world while using it. I don't understand the obsession with extreme text crispness many people have.

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SkyPuncher 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It’s terrible.

I’ve always wanted it to be better, but it’s just terrible. It’s like working on a projector screen where the pixels never line up.

	▲	NBJack 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Really? Did you ever try adjusting the text sharpness? I've a pair of Nreal Air glasses (before the rebrand) and a pair of Xreal Ones. I have found the latter remarkably comfortable and sharp enough for coding, reading text, playing games, etc. for extended periods of time. The new widescreen modes are a real treat too. Still waiting for Real 3D to get upgraded to 60FPS though.

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agar an hour ago | parent | prev [-]

You can wire it to a laptop. It supports direct DisplayPort over USB 3 input, which it will display on a large virtual monitor.

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garciasn 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

From the video they have on their site: watching movies in places where you normally would stare at a tiny screen; they also show folks using virtual floating keyboards in front of a VR desktop to work.

So: no problems solved.

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ffsm8 an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This product line already exists for years. Meta is just entering it.

It's essentially the xr-glasses /vr glasses category. Plenty of options around on stores

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JKCalhoun 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I mentioned Jaron Lanier in another comment… I've been watching VR try to establish itself and fail for close to 30 years now.