Meta unveiled Meta VR Glasses at Meta Connect on September 23, 2026, and the software to build for them is already out. The glasses cost $1,299 and ship in spring 2027. Meta's version 207 SDK is available now. That gives developers several months to get existing Quest apps ready before anyone owns the hardware.
A software development kit, or SDK, is the set of libraries and tools used to build apps for a device. Meta ships v207 for Unity, Unreal, native Android and the Immersive Web SDK. According to Meta's developer site, the glasses run Meta Horizon OS, the same operating system as Meta Quest. They share its app store, payment system and SDKs.
What Meta announced
Meta's announcement describes the glasses as weighing about 100 grams. Meta says that is five times lighter than Meta Quest 3. The processing does not sit in the glasses. It lives in a separate compute puck that clips to a pocket and connects by a tether.
UploadVR reported the fuller specifications.
| Spec | Figure |
|---|---|
| Price | $1,299.99 |
| Ship date | Spring 2027 |
| Glasses weight | About 100 grams |
| Compute puck weight | 300 grams (UploadVR) |
| Display | Micro-OLED, 2412x2288 per eye, 120Hz (UploadVR) |
| Field of view | About 70 degrees wide by 66 degrees tall |
| Memory and storage | 12GB RAM, 128GB plus microSD (UploadVR) |
| Battery | Up to 3 hours of media playback |
The sources disagree on the chip. Meta's newsroom and UploadVR name the Qualcomm Snapdragon Reality Elite. A Meta developer page lists the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 3.
Meta pitches the device mainly for media. Its content partners include Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, HBO Max and ESPN. 9to5Google also covered the September 23 launch and the $1,300 price.
How input changes for apps
The biggest change for developers is input. There are no controllers in the box. Users "look to target, tap to select and talk to Meta AI," in Meta's words. Eye tracking picks what you are looking at. A pinch of the fingers acts as a click. Meta's Quest Touch Plus controllers are sold separately.
Meta's compatibility guide spells out what that means for existing Quest apps:
- 64-bit only. An app that ships only a 32-bit build will not run.
- Flat Android apps work with eyes and hands alone.
- Controller-only immersive apps show a "Switch to Controllers" dialog. The user cannot enter until controllers are turned on.
- No hover events. The glasses do not send them, by design.
- Minimum target size is 48 dp, and windows must support widths from 360 to 1280 dp. A dp is a density-independent pixel, a unit that looks the same size on any screen.
The guide also maps old inputs to new ones. Controller rays become eye or hand rays. Trigger and grip become pinch, poke or palm grab. Thumbstick scrolling becomes a swipe or a pinch-and-drag, and free movement becomes teleporting.
What this means for developers
Start with the manifest, the file where an Android app declares what hardware it needs. Meta's guide says an app that omits hand tracking is treated as controllers-only. Setting it with required="false" plus the permission supports both controllers and hands. Setting required="true" means hands only. For most Quest apps, the middle option is the one to ship.
Next, check your build targets. Rebuild any 32-bit-only app as 64-bit before anything else. Then select "Future devices" in the Developer Dashboard. Meta says production releases that target "Future devices" reach the glasses without a new APK, the Android app package.
Audit your interface for hover. Tooltips, highlight-on-hover buttons and hover menus will not trigger. Replace them with a visible state or a pinch action. While you are there, check that no tap target is smaller than 48 dp.
Test without controllers. If your app cannot be entered without them, glasses owners will hit the "Switch to Controllers" wall on first launch. The controllers are an extra purchase.
Last, weigh the competition. Meta's second Start Developer Competition runs September 24 through November 18, 2026, with $1 million across 20 prizes. The top prize is $100,000 per category, and the categories are gaming, entertainment, and productivity and tools. Entry is open to members of the Meta Horizon Start program, and winners are named December 11, 2026. An app built for it targets the glasses and Quest from one project, so the work is not lost if the glasses sell slowly.
This article was first published on Tech AI Wire.
Also available in
Deutsch · 日本語 · Français · Español · Português
Sources
- Introducing Meta VR Glasses: A Cinema, Courtside Seat, and Workspace in Just 100 Grams - Meta Newsroom
- App compatibility for Meta VR Glasses - Meta Horizon OS Developers
- Meta VR Glasses Officially Announced, Shipping Spring 2027 For $1300 - UploadVR
- Meta is launching 'VR Glasses' next year for $1,300 - 9to5Google
Top comments (0)