Meta has unveiled its first pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses, which use holograms to overlay digital content on to the real world around the wearer.

Announced during the tech giant’s Meta Connect event, the company said the prototype device called Orion “might be the most challenging consumer electronics device produced since the smartphone”.

So far, AR devices have been headsets – such as Apple’s Vision Pro – in order to house all the technology required to power a wearable device capable of projecting holograms in front of a wearer’s eyes.

But Meta said Orion was the result of “breakthrough inventions in virtually every field of modern computing” and was “packed with entirely new technologies” around display and computer chips in order to run the same experiences currently found in headsets on a pair of glasses.

The device can be controlled using voice, eye movement and hand gestures.

Meta said it was opening up prototype testing for its own staff and “select, external audiences” so it can “learn, iterate, and build towards our consumer AR glasses product line, which we plan to begin shipping in the near future”.

The announcement was the most eye-catching in an array of new products and tools announced by the Facebook and Instagram parent firm during its event, including a new version of its Meta Quest headset.

Meta has been making large strides into artificial intelligence (AI) and it confirmed that it was adding voice interaction to its Meta AI tools for the first time – initially rolling out in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

New versions of Meta’s open-source AI models – Llama 3.2 – were also announced.

Industry expert Mike Proulx, vice president research director at analyst firm Forrester, said the announcement of Orion had the potential to be “revolutionary” for the sector.

“There was a stark contrast in Mark Zuckerberg’s excitement when he talked about AI and glasses versus when he talked about Meta Quest,” he said.

“It’s clear that Meta’s future is AI and glasses.

“VR headsets, despite Meta’s assertion, won’t go mainstream. They’re too cumbersome and people can only tolerate them in short bursts.

“Glasses, however, put computing power directly into a common and familiar form factor. As the smart tech behind these glasses mature, they have the potential to disrupt everyday consumers’ interactions with brands.

“Meta’s Orion holographic prototype sets the stage for a future where a revolutionary 3D computing platform is within reach and can actually be useful to the everyday consumer.”