Meta’s Project Phoenix leak reveals a surprisingly slim mixed-reality headset

Meta’s upcoming mixed-reality headset has surfaced in a fresh batch of leaked visuals, giving us our clearest look yet at the company’s attempt to make a much slimmer alternative to traditional VR headsets. The images, first spotted by UploadVR, show a smart glasses-like design with several interesting hardware details.

A slimmer build with offloaded hardware

The headset has a remarkably slim frame compared to Meta’s current Quest lineup, featuring a pair of glasses-style nose pads instead of a thick foam cushion and a much thinner overall profile. The sides and undersides of the frame feature sensors, and a leaked image also shows a cable connected to the left side of the headset, suggesting some of the processing hardware could be housed externally.

That would make sense given how slim Project Phoenix looks. Moving some of the computing hardware out of the headset could help Meta keep its weight and size down, potentially making it more comfortable to wear for longer periods.

The images also offer a look at the headset’s prescription lens system, which would sit in front of the displays, with the setup seemingly handled through a QR code. Meta’s existing Quest headsets already support prescription inserts, so this doesn’t appear to be a major departure from its current approach.

A bigger shift for Meta’s Quest lineup

What is more interesting is just how different Project Phoenix looks from the current Quest lineup. Meta appears to be moving toward a design that looks considerably closer to a pair of smart glasses while still offering the capabilities of a mixed-reality headset.

Meta has yet to officially announce Project Phoenix, so details such as its final name, specifications, price, and release date remain unknown. Previous reports suggest the headset may not arrive until next year. But with Meta Connect right around the corner, we may not have to wait long to find out more.