Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was one of several big names to try out Meta's new "Orion" prototype glasses at Meta's Connect event on Wednesday — and he appeared to be a fan. To demonstrate the good impression the glasses have had on those who have tried them, Meta head Mark Zuckerberg showcased a video of people's reactions after wearing them. The video featured Silicon Valley prodigies, media personalities, and Olympians.
The Nvidia CEO, who was one of the testers, referred to the glasses' 100-gram weight as "a big deal" and complimented various aspects of the technology. "The tracking is good, the brightness is good, the color contrast is good, field of view is excellent," Huang said in the video shown at the event.
The "Orion" glasses are the first prototype of full holographic augmented reality, and Zuckerberg referred to them as the "most advanced glasses the world has ever seen." Zuckerberg started putting together a team of the "best people in the world" about a decade ago to build the glasses. He said the technical challenges to making them are "insane."
"This is the physical world where holograms overlayed on it," Zuckerberg said. The Meta CEO named several of the challenges with building the glasses, like the need for a wide field of view while keeping them light. Zuckerberg also said that you need to be able to see through them. Zuckerberg said the glasses are made from a new kind of display architecture that uses tiny projectors that bend light to create holograms of different depths and sizes. The glasses are powered by a battery in the arm made of customized silicon and sensors.
Zuckerberg said the "Orion" holographic glasses aren't ready for consumers yet as Meta refines some of the details and works on lowering the retail price. However, some external developers will be able to get access.
Huang's compliments are somewhat of a big deal. Nvidia is one of the most valuable companies in the world, and its GPU chips are powering the AI revolution. Given the company's cult-like following, Huang's words also carry a lot of weight in the tech world and stock market.
But it's also worth noting that Zuckerberg is a big Nvidia client. The Meta CEO has bragged about stockpiling GPUs to build a "massive amount of infrastructure" to further the company's AI efforts. In an interview with The Verge, Zuckerberg said that when Meta's Nvidia components and other AI chips are accounted for, Meta will have nearly 600,000 GPUs by the end of 2024.
Nvidia declined a request for comment from Business Insider.
What are Meta's Orion AR glasses?
Meta's "Orion" glasses are described as the "most advanced" augmented reality glasses ever made. They are the first prototype of full holographic augmented reality, blurring the line between the physical and virtual worlds. The glasses are powered by a battery in the arm made of customized silicon and sensors. Meta believes these glasses are the key to unlocking the next great leap in human-oriented computing.
Orion's design and functionality
Meta's "Orion" glasses have the largest field of view in the smallest AR glasses form to date. That field of view unlocks truly immersive use cases, from multitasking windows and big-screen entertainment to life-size holograms of people – all digital content that can seamlessly blend with your view of the physical world. These glasses are designed to be comfortable to wear for extended periods. They are made from a new kind of display architecture that uses tiny projectors that bend light to create holograms of different depths and sizes.
Key features of the glasses
- Holographic display: Orion uses Micro LED projectors to beam graphics in front of your eyes via waveguides in the lenses.
- Wide field of view: Orion has a 70-degree field of view, which is wider than any pair of AR glasses previously released.
- Silicon carbide lenses: Meta picked silicon carbide for its durability, light weight, and ultrahigh index of refraction.
- Neural wristband: A "neural wristband" is used to control the glasses with gestures and hand movements.
The Future of AR Glasses
Meta's "Orion" glasses represent a significant step towards the future of augmented reality. Meta plans to release a consumer-ready version of these glasses within a few years. The company is committed to making AR glasses more affordable and accessible to a wider audience. They're not just building the technology for its own sake, but for how it can empower people and make them more present in the world.
What's next for Meta's AR glasses?
Meta's "Orion" glasses are not yet available to consumers, but Meta is working on making them a reality. The company is focused on lowering the retail price and improving the overall experience. This is not a research prototype; it's a polished product that could be shipped to consumers. However, the company decided to focus on internal development first, which means they can keep building quickly and continue to push the boundaries of the technology, helping them arrive at an even better consumer product faster.
Meta is opening up access to its "Orion" product prototype for Meta employees and select external audiences so that its development team can learn, iterate and build towards its consumer AR glasses product line, which it plans to begin shipping in the near future. In the next few years, you can expect to see new devices from Meta that build on its R&D efforts. The "Orion" glasses are not just a window into the future – they are a look at the very real possibilities within reach today.
