Between the launch of the iPhone 16 and PS5 Pro, September is turning out to be a huge month for tech fans.
Now, it’s about to get even more crowded with the start of Meta Connect, a jam-packed event devoted to Facebook creator Meta’s new virtual-reality and artificial-intelligence products.
Get ready for more headsets that can help you get fit and slay demons (hopefully at the same time), smart glasses that actually look normal, and plenty of AI chatbots, some of which may sound like celebs.
Here’s what you need to know about Meta Connect 2024, including when it kicks off, how to tune in and the gadgets to look out for.
When does Meta Connect 2024 start?
Although it’s a two-day conference that takes place on September 25 to 26, the main event for most people is the opening day keynote.
That’s when Meta’s head honcho Mark Zuckerberg will talk up the biggest launches, before ceding the floor to other execs, who will wax poetic about the company’s developer tools.
The keynote will kick off on September 25 at 1pm ET (6pm UK time) and last for roughly an hour. This is when we’ll learn about things the public can actually buy and use, whereas the rest of the event will focus on software.
Meta is big on open-source AI, allowing coders and app makers to use its powerful AI models for free, which in turn can help boost those systems. So, expect most of the conference to focus on those initiatives.
How to watch Meta Connect live?
If you want to watch the keynote and developer sessions live, you have two options. You can either tune in on Facebook via the Meta for Developers page or get immersive by streaming it on a Meta Quest headset with the Horizon Worlds app.
The latter is the company’s virtual playground, where you can chat and interact with others, play mini-games and watch videos on massive screens.
If you don’t already have the app, you can download it from the Meta Horizons Store on your headset. A mobile version is also available on iPhone and Android, but then you won’t get the big screen experience.
The main keynote should also be available via Meta’s official YouTube channel once it concludes.
What to expect
In Meta’s own words, the Connect keynote will showcase the “latest developments in mixed reality, AI and wearables”.
Expect Meta to offer updates on its Llama large-language model and celeb voices for its Meta AI chatbot, including the elegant inflections of Dame Judi Dench.
As much as we would love to get excoriated by M, it’s the hardware announcements that sound the most exciting.
Meta Quest 3S
Top of the bill should be the rumoured Meta Quest 3S, a cheaper take on its wireless VR headset that could make it more tempting for the masses.
The newcomer is expected to feature the same Snapdragon chip as the latest Meta Quest 3 goggles (and the same ring-less controllers), but with a less impressive display that’s closer to the older Quest 2.
Ultimately, you should be able to play the latest VR games on it, including the Meta Quest 3 exclusive Batman: Arkham Shadow, though the visuals won’t look quite as good.
The battery and cameras may also be from the older headset, but you will probably still get full-colour passthrough, allowing you to see your surroundings in more detail. This should also work wonders for augmented-reality games and apps, which overlay digital objects on the real world.
The biggest caveat could be its size, with the outer shell said to be closer to the Quest 2, making it bulkier than the Quest 3. That’s hardly a deal-breaker, considering the older headset can be worn for several hours without causing much strain.
To soften the blow, Meta could price it around $300 (or £300 in the UK) for the 128GB storage model. So, it should be cheaper than the PS VR 2 (which also requires a PS5 to work), the Xbox Series X, and less than half the price of the upcoming PS5 Pro.
Now, if Meta can just nab more high-profile games, the Quest 3S may even wind up on Christmas wishlists.
More smart glasses
Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses have been a sleeper hit, championed on social media by influencers, founders and Silicon Valley bros. For years, the tech industry kept telling us we needed to record everything with wearables for our peepers, but nobody was interested. Google Glass was met with ridicule back in 2013 and Snapchat lost millions on its Spectacles.
All somebody had to do was team up with a fashion brand to make an understated pair of augmented shades. Meta got their first, and its decision to cram cameras into Ray-Ban’s timeless Wayfarer (worn by everyone from a young Bob Dylan to Kate Middleton) is turning out to be a masterstroke.
Meta is now on its second-gen iteration of the shades, which let you capture and share pics and video, listen to music through their open-ear speakers, and livestream to Instagram.
At Connect, we’re almost guaranteed to see a refreshed model with improved cameras, longer battery life, and better AI functionality (though the latter isn’t available in the UK yet due to regulatory roadblocks).
Slightly less likely is a glimpse at the third-gen version, codenamed Hypernova. You may be able to pair these with your phone to view notifications and other useful info on a small built-in display. Just don’t expect to see them in the wild until 2025 at the earliest.
Next-gen AR glasses
Even further out are the company’s more advanced augmented-reality glasses, codenamed Orion. In a bid to drum up hype, Meta could tease a concept version at Connect.
Alongside their media-recording capabilities, the futuristic specs will superimpose computer-generated images on the wearer’s surroundings. You’ll see these graphics through a pair of holographic-style displays, one for each eye.
It sounds like Meta is aiming for the kind of high-powered AR tech found in the uber-pricey Meta Quest Pro headset, but integrated into the form factor of a bulky pair of glasses. Meta recently extended its partnership with EssilorLuxottica, the firm behind Ray-Ban, and the Orion AR glasses are expected to be part of that deal.
In typical big tech fashion, Zuckerberg’s right-hand man, Andrew Bosworth, described Orion as “the most advanced thing that we’ve ever produced as a species” – an audacious statement that would make any sane person spit out their tea. But, he also made clear that Meta has no plans to sell it while it’s in the prototype stage.
As such, we could be in for a long wait and, the way the tech industry moves, they could be replaced by another trend before then.
