Shedding weight while boosting performance remains at the forefront of advancing standalone XR headsets. Meta’s intriguing showcase of the Orion AR glasses prototype with its wireless compute module grabbed attention, although Andrew Bosworth, Meta’s CTO, doesn’t see this model as the ultimate solution for standalone VR gaming.
Bosworth, who helms Meta’s Reality Labs XR team, regularly engages with his audience through Instagram Q&A sessions, where he tackles a mix of professional and personal topics. In his latest discussion, he addressed wireless compute units and why Meta isn’t using them in their standalone VR headsets.
Bosworth elaborated, “We’ve explored this multiple times. Wireless compute pucks don’t truly solve the issue. Even if wireless, the headset still houses a battery, significantly contributing to weight. Sure, you gain some thermal efficiency, potentially enhancing performance, but you’re now limited by bandwidth due to reliance on radio,” he noted.
Beyond technical concerns, Meta prioritizes affordability and accessibility for consumers, evident in the Quest 3S launch at a competitive $300 for the 128GB model. Bosworth further explained:
“The costs escalate considerably; even if the main silicon resides in the wireless compute puck, substantial silicon is still necessary to power the displays, manage local corrections, and process data streams. Essentially, the numbers don’t justify the approach. There’s minimal weight reduction, coupled with increased cost and complexity.”
The Orion prototype, in contrast, embraces a wireless compute unit. However, it’s far from entering the market due to its staggering $10,000 per-unit production cost, largely attributed to its silicon carbide lenses. While wireless pucks fit well for less immersive graphics in AR glasses, Bosworth cautions against assuming the consumer AR glasses will mirror the Quest’s price range.
He hinted in September that the anticipated consumer AR glasses, while designed to be relatively accessible, won’t be cheap, suggesting they’ll fall within the same price realm as phones or laptops.
