Meta appears to have inadvertently revealed detailed images of its upcoming mixed reality headset, codenamed "Project Phoenix," well ahead of any official announcement. The images were discovered by UploadVR embedded in a now-removed HorizonOS app called "HorizonOS Prescription Lens," which seems to have been released as a placeholder for prescription lens inserts but unintentionally included product photography of the device from multiple angles. The leak matters because it offers the clearest confirmation yet of a headset that departs significantly from Meta's existing Quest lineup, suggesting the company may be preparing a bigger reveal soon.

The images show a lightweight, glasses-like design resembling Xreal's Aura headset rather than a bulky Quest unit, along with a visible cable that supports earlier rumours of a tethered connection to a separate compute "puck." No front-facing view was captured, but a camera-based, controller-free hand-tracking system is expected, a theory bolstered by a planned Connect session on controller-free interaction. Meta's Connect developer event begins 23 September and could offer an official first look, though reports indicate the headset itself won't launch until the first half of 2027. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.