# Meta leaked its own mixed reality headset

> A pulled HorizonOS app carried image files that show Project Phoenix from nearly every angle.
- Title: Meta leaked its own mixed reality headset · Engadget
- Summary: A pulled HorizonOS app carried image files that show Project Phoenix from nearly every angle. Project Phoenix is a tethered, glasses-style headset controlled…
- Keywords: meta, mixed reality, project phoenix, vr headsets, leaks, technology, leaked, own, mixed, reality, headset, Engadget
- Source: Engadget — https://engadget.com/2256177/new-images-show-a-detailed-view-of-metas-upcoming-mixed-reality-headset
- Author: Karissa Bell
- Published: 2026-09-11T17:28:11+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: meta, mixed reality, project phoenix, vr headsets, leaks, technology
## 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.
## Key takeaway

Project Phoenix is a tethered, glasses-style headset controlled by hand tracking, and Meta just leaked it weeks before Connect.