Meta Connect 2025 Live: all the big Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses news plus how to watch
Want to see the future of smart glasses? Tune into this
Meta Connect 2025 is kicking off very soon – and if you're a fan of smart glasses, or just want a glimpse of where they're headed next, it's likely to be essential viewing.
Meta hasn't exactly made watching Connect 2025 easy this year with its timings (details on how to tune in are below), but it's shaping up to be a major tech event. So if you like your wearable tech and can find a way to watch Mark Zuckerberg's keynote, we'd definitely recommend doing so.
We'd also suggest following the event with us here on our liveblog, because we'll be reporting live from Menlo Park in California with all of our expert reactions and thoughts. It isn't exactly clear what we'll see yet, but a major leak yesterday (from, er, Meta itself) gave us a glimpse of what's coming.
The video (which was quickly pulled) showed off the Meta Ray-Ban Display (a pair of smart glasses with an in-lens screen) and a new pair with a visor design. Will there be more announcements at Connect 2025? Almost certainly, so here's all the latest news as it happens.
How to watch Meta Connect 2025
The Meta Connect 2025 keynote kicks off today (September 17) at 5pm PT / 8pm ET, or technically tomorrow at 1am BST / 10am AEST on September 18 in you're in the UK or Australia.
There's no YouTube livestream available for the event, with Meta (naturally) going for a Facebook livestream (you'll need to follow the Meta for Developers account) and offering access in the Meta Horizon app on your compatible Quest headset.
If you have a Meta Quest 3, 3S, 2 or Pro, head to the event's Meta Horizon page for more details on how to tune in.
You can also register for the livestream on the Meta Connect 2025 homepage, which will give you reminders and the latest, updated agenda.
Meta Connect: the latest news
- Meta Connect 2025 kicks off at 5pm PT / 8pm ET today
- That's 1am BST / 10am AEST tomorrow if you're in the UK or Australia
- A Meta leak already appears to have leaked two new pairs of smart glasses
What won't we see at Connect 2025?
NEW: Details on the upcoming ASUS ROG VR headset running Meta Horizon OS.It is codenamed Tarius, and will likely be one of the first 3P Horizon OS HMDs to ship.It is planned to include Eye Tracking and Face Tracking. The displays will be QD-LCD with local dimming or µOLED. pic.twitter.com/K5pYxcBK4hJanuary 12, 2025
If you're more a fan of VR headsets than smart glasses, there's been mixed news in the rumors for this year's Connect.
On the downside, it's highly unlikely that we'll see a Meta Quest 4. In fact, it's reportedly been delayed until 2027, so you can cross that one off your bingo card (barring a major shock).
Still, there's a chance we could hear more about the rumored Asus Tarius VR headset instead. TechRadar's AR/VR expert Hamish Hector called it "the headset of my dreams" earlier this year, with the specs pointing to a high-end VR gaming headset.
That will also likely mean a high price, but an appearance from the "performance gaming headset" that Meta announced last year following its partnership with Asus ROG would be a very welcome substitute for Quest 4 news later. Fingers crossed.
We've landed at Meta Connect 2025
It's still over seven hours until Mark Zuckerberg takes the stage at Meta's headquarters in Menlo Park, California. But like the tech bloodhound he is, TechRadar's Editor At Large Lance Ulanoff is already on the ground and hunting for news.
So far, we haven't spotted much apart from the branded banners above, but Lance is on-brand in his Ray-Ban Meta glasses – and will be bringing us any last-minute leaks and rumors straight from the show.
A last-minute hint from Zuck
Firstly, let's take a moment to appreciate Mark Zuckerberg's profile photo on Threads. Is he planning a WWE guest appearance soon?
Cryptically, the Meta CEO also posted the emoji-heavy message above about Connect 2025. Is it hinting at gesture controls? One of the big rumors has been the arrival of a new wristband for the new Meta Rya-Ban Display glasses, which would offer just that.
That's our best guess here, but let us know if you can crack the code.
Meta Connect 2025: what to expect
Meta has given us a taste of what's coming today by accidentally publishing a video on its socials – and my cynical side says yesterday's 'leak' was very conveniently timed.
Still, it does seem to confirm the rumors that today's event is going to be pretty fun – particularly if you like smart glasses. Two shoo-ins appear to be the Meta Ray-Ban Display (the long-awaited smart glasses with a small screen) and new Oakley pair with a visor-style design that seemingly moves the camera from the temple to the nose.
These are interesting for different reasons. The Ray-Ban Display promises features like an on-screen map for directions – for me, that's one of the killer smart glasses features I've been waiting for. The display is also handy for translations. The Oakley pair, meanwhile, sound much better for sport, particularly with that centered camera – watch out, GoPro.
In short, here's what the leaks and rumors suggest we could see later:
- Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses
- Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses (Gen 3)
- Oakley Meta Sphaera Glasses
- A new smartwatch / wristband
What happened last year?
Is this your first Meta Connect? Here's a recap of last year to give you an idea of what's coming.
Firstly, don't surprised if there's a delay – last year, Mark Zuckerberg took to the stage a little after the scheduled start time.
Still, once he arrived, he rolled off a decent list of announcements. We got our first glimpse of the Orion AR glasses, Meta's first holographic spectacles that are controlled with a wristband. Expect to hear more about those today.
We also saw the launch of the Meta Quest 3S, which we branded the "world's best affordable VR headset" despite having inferior displays to its pricier Quest 3 sibling. Inevitably, we also got plenty of Meta AI news, including a new voice mode for its AI chatbot and AI image generation for Facebook and Instagram.
Personally, I'm not too fussed about Meta's AI innovations compared to its Quest and smart glasses tech. Fortunately, it sounds like Connect 2025 is going to go pretty big on the latter...
Meta Connect 2025: nine hours till kick off
Hello, and welcome to our Meta Connect 2025 liveblog. I think this is going to be the most hardware-packed Connect event for a few years, so it's definitely going to be worth a watch – whatever your thoughts on Meta and Mark Zuckerberg.
I'll be taking you through what we can expect to see, the last-minute leaks and what this all means for smart glasses. Meta may have made a few missteps (remember the metaverse, anyone?), but you can't deny it's the current leader in face-mounted tech.
Let's take a look at what's likely coming our way in just under nine hours' time...