The optical stack is just 3mm thick, and unlike other mixed reality headsets we\u2019re used to \u2013 like the Meta Quest 3<\/a> \u2013 this design doesn\u2019t layer stereoscopic images to create a sense of depth. Instead, it produces holograms that should look more realistic and be more natural to view.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n That means it\u2019s not only thin, but high-quality too \u2013 an important combination.<\/p>\n (Image credit: Suyeon Choi,\u00a0Changwon Jang, Douglas Lanman and Gordon Wetzstein)<\/p>\n Now there\u2019s still more work to be done. The prototype shown in the image above doesn\u2019t look close to being a consumer-grade product that\u2019s ready to hit store shelves.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, it doesn\u2019t yet seem to pass what\u2019s called the Visual Turing Test. This would be the point at which it’s impossible to distinguish between a hologram and a real-world object, though that goal looks to be what Reality Labs and Stanford hope to eventually achieve.<\/p>\n Even with this technology still likely years (perhaps even a decade) from making it to a gadget you or I could go out and buy, the prototype\u2019s design does showcase Meta\u2019s desire to produce ultra-thin MR tech.<\/p>\n It lends credence to rumors that Meta\u2019s next VR headset could be a pair of lightweight goggles<\/a> about a fifth as heavy as the 515g Meta Quest 3.<\/p>\n Given these rumored goggles are believed to be coming in the next few years, they\u2019ll likely avoid the experimental holography tech found in Meta and Stanford\u2019s report, but if Meta were looking to trim weight and slim down the design further in future iterations, the research it\u2019s conducting now would be a vital first step.<\/p>\n Are glasses and goggles the future? (Image credit: Oakley \/ Meta)<\/p>\n I, for one, am increasingly excited to see what XR tech Meta is cooking up.<\/p>\n It’s Ray-Ban<\/a>, and now Oakley<\/a>, glasses have showcased the wild popularity that XR wearables can achieve if they find the sweet spot of comfort, utility, and price, with that first factor looking to be the most vital.<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/yv8pbnzNMBU4WpdfELHhxd.webp.webp\")
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