At Connect 2026, Meta unveiled a new direction emphasising personal artificial intelligence integrated into everyday wearables, signalling a move away from metaverse ambitions towards practical, user-focused technology.
Meta used its Connect 2026 showcase to make a clear argument about where it wants the next phase of computing to go: away from the metaverse fantasy that once defined the company and towards personal artificial intelligence delivered through wearables. Mark Zuckerberg opened the event with the claim that “the future is for everyone”, but the products on display suggested that Meta now sees glasses, not virtual worlds, as the main route to that future.
At the centre of the presentation was Muse, Meta’s personal AI agent. The company said the service can help users set goals, adjust feeds and carry out practical tasks, from planning travel to handling routine admin. Meta’s chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, said on stage that Muse could even help replace lost items, reorganise trips around poor weather and negotiate bills. Zuckerberg said the company expects to earn money eventually by taking a small cut of transactions, although Muse is free for now. According to Axios, the move into agentic shopping is already meeting resistance, with Amazon blocking Muse from accessing and purchasing products on its platform.
Meta is also trying to make Muse useful beyond its own software. The company said the agent can now operate a Mac with permission, run programmes in the background and, eventually, work with email. It is also rolling out connectors for third-party services, including retail partners such as Walmart, Best Buy, Gap and Sephora, alongside travel, delivery and developer tools from Expedia, Instacart, Box, GitHub, Granola, Stripe and Shopify. Meta said it is also opening a Connector Platform so others can build their own integrations. The strategy is significant because it moves Muse from a chatbot-style assistant towards a system that can complete tasks across services.
The hardware announcements followed the same logic. Meta unveiled a third generation of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, with more microphones, better noise reduction and more than 50 styles, while a cheaper Adventure model is due to start at $249. The company also introduced its first audio-only glasses, which remove the camera entirely and are being pitched as a more discreet option for everyday wear. Meta said the audio model will have its longest battery life yet and the thinnest Ray-Ban frame it has produced, with pre-orders already open and shipping expected in mid-October. The new line also includes hearing support, which Meta says has been certified for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
That design choice also addresses a longstanding criticism of Meta’s camera-equipped glasses. Some users and creators have used earlier models to film people without consent, leading critics to describe them as “pervert glasses”. By removing the camera, Meta is trying to widen the appeal of the category while also competing more directly with audio-first wearables such as Amazon’s Echo Frames and Bose’s audio sunglasses. At the same time, the company is asking users to see the glasses as a normal part of daily life rather than a novelty device.
Meta’s most ambitious wearable is a slimmer pair of VR glasses due in spring 2027. The company says they are five times lighter than the Quest 3 and roughly the weight of a deck of cards. Meta also claims the display is its best yet, with deeper blacks and richer colour, and said the device will support hand gestures, typed input through an AR keyboard, 75 launch games and compatibility with the Quest library through controllers. Entertainment partners include Disney+, with 3D releases expected later this year, while sports features will extend to major leagues, the UFC and the Premier League. Meta also said live events may allow users to switch viewing angles inside stadiums, and the device will support full-body holograms on calls.
The final announcement was Muse Charm, a small handheld device for people who do not want smart glasses at all. Meta said it is intended to be the fastest way to talk to Muse outside the glasses ecosystem, and it will arrive by the holidays in December. No price was announced. The product enters a market where earlier stand-alone AI gadgets have struggled to find demand, but it also underlines the direction Meta is taking: a world in which AI is not just a service inside an app, but a layer that follows the user across devices.
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