Images apparently leaked from a Meta firmware package have given an early glimpse of "Project Phoenix", a slim headset that appears to sit between bulky mixed-reality headsets and lightweight smart glasses. The find, first reported by UploadVR, comes shortly before Meta Connect begins on 23 September and suggests the company is positioning the device to rival slimmer mixed-reality glasses from firms such as Xreal and Viture, rather than competing directly with its own bulkier Quest 3 headset.

The leaked images reportedly surfaced in the HorizonOS Prescription Lens firmware package and show a glasses-style frame with lenses, alongside outward- and downward-facing cameras built into the earpieces. A wire trailing from one earpiece hints at a possible battery or compute puck connection. Project Phoenix is said to have been in development for some time but is not expected to launch until next year, placing it alongside Google's similarly wired Project Aura XR glasses, which are also in development.