Meta’s Next XR Glasses: All the Rumors Around Puffin, Loma and Phoenix
Light as glasses, powerful as a headset: Meta Puffin, Loma, or Phoenix aims to make mixed reality practical for everyday use. Here’s what we know about the technology, design, and target audience.
Meta is working on at least one new mixed reality headset designed to change how XR devices fit into everyday life. Meta Puffin — also known as Loma or Phoenix — is being developed as an ultralight premium pair of glasses with an external compute module, or “compute puck,” and it is aimed less at gamers than at users who want to experience immersive media and productive mixed reality features in daily use.
In this article, I’ll summarize all known information and rumors about Meta Puffin — from the concept and design to the planned market launch.
Ultralight mixed reality headset weighing less than 110 grams.
Processing unit and battery moved to an external “compute puck.”
Controlled via eye tracking and hand tracking — no controllers.
Micro-OLEDs, pancake lenses, and resolutions of 2560 × 2560 pixels per eye are reportedly being considered.
Focus on media, productivity, and everyday use, less on gaming.
Planned launch: 2027, likely priced under $1,500.
Positioned as a practical alternative to Apple Vision Pro.
Industry insiders sometimes use the names Meta Puffin, Meta Loma, and Meta Phoenix interchangeably, though they are occasionally treated as different development stages. My current assumption is that Puffin, first mentioned in 2024, was one of the earliest prototypes representing Meta’s vision for an ultralight media-focused pair of glasses designed to appeal to a broader user base than the Quest VR headsets. Think display glasses like Viture Luma or Xreal One.
The codename Loma first surfaced in 2025 and appears to be a further development of Puffin, featuring a compute puck, eye tracking, and a focus on productivity and business applications. Since Phoenix only appeared in internal documents in December 2025, it is likely the final product vision — one that may eventually make VR applications possible as well. I think it’s unlikely that Meta will ultimately release three separate devices for such similar use cases.
Meta Puffin/Loma/Phoenix is a new mixed reality headset that differs conceptually from previous VR headsets such as Quest 3 or a possible Meta Quest 4. While the Quest series is built around standalone gaming and entertainment, Phoenix puts media-focused everyday use front and center — watching shows, communicating with other people, or working productively, for example. With it, Meta wants to serve a new product category that will not replace the smartphone, but could eventually establish itself as an everyday AR platform.
This is what Meta Phoenix’s external compute puck could look like, if XR leaker Nori’s mockup is accurate. © noridoesvr
The key difference is the hardware layout: Puffin/Loma/Phoenix consists of a lightweight pair of glasses with pancake lenses and passthrough functionality, while the actual processing hardware and power supply are moved into a separate device. This “compute puck” could be carried in a pants pocket or clipped to a belt, enabling the minimalist design.
Design, displays, lenses, and resolution
As mentioned above, Puffin/Loma/Phoenix contains only the most essential optics and sensors, while the puck handles the main processing. As a result, the glasses weigh around 110 grams, just a fraction of current VR headsets such as Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S. The design is also expected to be very slim.
XR leaker Luna claims to have already seen developer units of Project Phoenix and created this mockup based on them. © Luna
Recently surfaced leaks and mockups already provide the basis for this design. On June 16, Qualcomm announced “Snapdragon Reality Elite,” a new generation of XR chips. The community is currently speculating whether Meta’s next XR glasses may have appeared in the accompanying video. You can watch the video here. At the 43-second mark, you can see a man on a lounge chair wearing XR glasses that look strikingly similar to the previously created Phoenix concept design shown in the screenshot.
Micro-OLED displays measuring around 0.9 inches with strong contrast are currently rumored. The resolution will likely be below Apple Vision Pro, though quite a lot is theoretically possible. Qualcomm’s chip mentioned above is said to support resolutions of up to 4.4K per eye at a 90Hz refresh rate, but it will most likely not be used in Phoenix. Instead, you should expect a cheaper but still powerful custom variant of the existing XR2 line and resolutions of around 2560 × 2560 pixels per eye.
Will there be controller tracking in addition to hand tracking?
Controls will most likely be built primarily around hand tracking combined with eye tracking. That should make operation more intuitive and lower the barrier to entry. A color passthrough mode for the real-world environment is also planned, as is the most natural field of view possible. That said, I find it hard to imagine controller input being categorically ruled out.
With the Touch Plus and Touch Pro controllers, Meta has just about the best VR controllers on the market in its portfolio. It would be a shame if Meta did not offer a controller option, limiting the glasses’ potential use cases from the start.
In any case, I expect Puffin/Loma/Phoenix tracking to be less stable than on Quest 3. The lack of space for tracking cameras alone has to come with some limitations. Since the Touch Pro controllers can position themselves independently in the room, however, that alone would not rule out smooth VR gaming.
Target audience, use cases, and positioning
Puffin/Loma/Phoenix is explicitly not aimed at hardcore gamers, but at a broad audience that has so far been put off by the size, weight, and complexity of traditional VR headsets. VR games will be possible, but the focus is on immersive media experiences, communication, and productivity applications — such as using virtual monitors or watching movies and shows on the couch.
Also interesting:
That positions Meta Puffin/Loma/Phoenix as a direct competitor to Apple Vision Pro, but with a stronger focus on comfort and everyday practicality.
Price: How much will Puffin/Loma/Phoenix cost?
The price is not yet known. So far, industry insiders have expected a price of around $1,000. I don’t think that figure will remain realistic for much longer. The hardware crunch caused by the global build-out of AI data centers is currently driving up prices across all kinds of devices. A look at ongoing console price hikes or the final Steam Machine prices shows where things are headed.
That said, rumors suggest Meta is also aiming for broad adoption with Phoenix and therefore does not want to exceed a certain price ceiling. If Meta subsidizes the headset again, as it has with previous Quest headsets, the $1,000 mark is possible. But I expect a price around $1,300 to $1,400 — in any case below competitors Google and Xreal’s Project Aural, which is expected to cost €1,500.
Release window and development status
Meta Puffin is not expected to launch before 2027 at the earliest. The project is already fairly far along and was originally supposed to arrive this year. Internal documents and rumors now point to a market launch in the first quarter of next year. Meta itself is officially staying quiet, but I expect an announcement at this year’s Meta Connect.
OPINION
Verdict: A lightweight device with big ambitions
Meta Puffin/Loma/Phoenix could fundamentally reshape the market for mixed reality glasses — provided the product lives up to its promises. With a weight of under 110 grams, intuitive controls, and a focus on media and everyday use, Meta is moving into a new device category that clearly stands apart from previous Quest headsets. If the technology works as planned, Phoenix could be Meta’s first real step toward mass-market XR glasses. Still, you should keep your expectations in check. Project Phoenix is just another step forward in an industry that is still young, and it will not be the perfect device for every use case.
Sources: WSJ, The Information, UploadVR, Brad Lynch
July 3, 2026: Article fully revised, both in content and structure.
