From Engadget · Karissa Bell · · 1m 20s
Meta leaked its own mixed reality headset
A pulled HorizonOS app carried image files that show Project Phoenix from nearly every angle.
In brief
A pulled HorizonOS app carried image files that show Project Phoenix from nearly every angle. Project Phoenix is a tethered, glasses-style headset controlled by hand tracking, and Meta just leaked it weeks before Connect. Originally reported by Engadget.
Meta leaked it early
Detailed images of Meta's next mixed reality headset, long known as Project Phoenix, surfaced ahead of any announcement. They show a lightweight device from several angles.
“Meta appears to have unintentionally shown off its upcoming mixed reality headset a bit ahead of schedule.”
Hidden in a prescription app
UploadVR found the files inside a HorizonOS app called "HorizonOS Prescription Lens," meant for people needing prescription inserts. Meta has since pulled it.
Not another Quest
Phoenix is a different shape from Meta's Quest line. It looks closer to glasses-style hardware like Xreal's Aura headset than to a bulky visor.
“"Phoenix" is a different form factor than other Quest-branded hardware we've seen from Meta.”
A cable to a puck
One image clearly shows a cable, matching year-old rumors that the headset offloads work to a separate puck instead of carrying all the compute on your face.
No controllers, just hands
The front view is missing, but cameras are likely, since reports point to hand tracking over controllers. Meta has a Connect session on "a practical guide to controller-free interaction."
“a practical guide to controller-free interaction”
A tease at Connect
Connect starts September 23, and the timing of these Horizon updates suggests a reveal. Shipping is another matter: reports put the headset in the first half of 2027.
What it means
Project Phoenix is a tethered, glasses-style headset controlled by hand tracking, and Meta just leaked it weeks before Connect.
