Meta’s unannounced mixed-reality headset, carrying the internal codename “Project Phoenix,” has surfaced within a Horizon OS software update ahead of the company’s annual Meta Connect 2026 conference, according to reports from specialized virtual reality outlets including UploadVR. According to the discovered software assets, the upcoming hardware bridges the technical capabilities of the Meta Quest Pro with the streamlined, compact form factor of Meta’s Ray-Ban artificial intelligence smart glasses.
Design Details and Hardware Features
The leaked assets appeared inside the HorizonOS Prescription Lens configuration utility, a software package used to set up custom corrective lenses for Meta headsets. According to UploadVR, the images display a side-mounted sensor alongside a mounting mechanism for prescription inserts.
Additional hardware specifications emerging from the system files indicate that Project Phoenix relies on a multi-camera array. The configuration includes both outward-facing sensors for environmental tracking and cameras integrated directly into the device’s arms.
Meta Connect 2026 Timeline
The software appearance arrives just ahead of Meta Connect 2026, the technology firm’s primary annual showcase for advancements in artificial intelligence and the metaverse. While Meta has not officially acknowledged or confirmed the hardware leak, the company traditionally uses the conference—scheduled for September 23 and 24, 2026—to debut new consumer devices and platform updates.