Facebook Reveals VR Glasses

After the recent announcement that sales of and support for Oculus Go will come to an end within the next few years, many have been wondering what Facebook would do to fill this void in their VR lineup. Now evidence has arisen that finally reveals details about Facebook’s hotly-anticipated virtual reality glasses.

Bending Light Backwards

Facebook Reality Labs (FRL) revealed a proof-of-concept that suggests the product, when released, will impress for more reasons than style and form alone. Looking quite like a large pair of black frameless sunglasses, the device also sports a display quite unlike most on the VR market today. To lower the weight and volume of its prototype glasses, FRL combined both holographic and polarization-based optic systems.

Claiming its holographic optics “bends light like a lens but looks like a thin, transparent sticker,” FRL adds polarization-based optical folding that allows forward and backward movement of light within the lens, reducing the physical space needed for more established optical systems. As with most things, Facebook and Oculus put set their minds to; social interaction is obviously an integral part of the development of the revealed glasses.

The advanced optic system and smaller form factor don’t just mean a more comfortable user experience; they increase the likelihood that users will engage with the device while in public, at work, or with friends. When your face is hidden by what amounts to a pair of vintage 90s rave glasses (á la Keith Flint of the Prodigy), your VR use won’t pose much of a social obstacle.

Perfectly Placed for Porn

This socially-minded approach will also serve porn fans well, creating doorways to more fluid open-world experiences complete with XXX encounters. The simple fact of a light, fashionable, and easy-to-explain VR device that you secretly use for pure VR porn bliss also makes far more sense for many users than any currently available (and no doubt bulkier) headset.

Whatever form Facebook’s VR glasses take when they eventually reach consumers, the device is sure to continue the social media giants’ profound impact on virtual and augmented reality and – whether Facebook HQ likes it or not – on VR porn.