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Leaked images show Meta's Project Phoenix mixed reality headset

Images found in a removed HorizonOS app show Meta's Project Phoenix mixed reality headset from multiple angles, offering an early look before the company's Connect event on September 23.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-12 03:16

UploadVR originally published the images, Engadget reported, after finding the files in a Meta app called HorizonOS Prescription Lens. The app, which has since been removed, appears intended for people who need prescription inserts for the device. Meta seems to have released the app as a placeholder, but UploadVR found that it included image files clearly showing the headset from different angles.

The images match what has been reported about the mixed reality device for more than a year. Phoenix is a different form factor from other Quest-branded hardware Meta has released. It looks more similar to glasses-like devices such as Xreal's Aura headset. One image clearly shows a cable, which lines up with previous rumors that Phoenix will rely on a tethered connection to a separate puck.

One view missing from the new images is the front of the headset, leaving some details unknown. The front will likely include some kind of camera setup, much like Xreal's Aura, because the device will reportedly rely on similar hand-tracking controls rather than a dedicated controller. UploadVR noted that Meta is planning a Connect session covering "a practical guide to controller-free interaction," which would fit with what the images show.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Connect event, Meta's annual developer conference, kicks off September 23, and it now seems possible the company could offer a first official glimpse of Phoenix there. The event began as a dedicated VR conference and was light on VR and mixed reality news last year, when Meta's display-enabled smart glasses were the star of the show. Smart glasses are again expected to receive significant attention this year. Given the timing of the Horizon updates that led to the images, Meta could have something larger planned for the event.

Whether the headset will be shown in action is less clear. Previous reports have suggested the device will not be ready until the first half of 2027, after Meta pushed back its original timing. Even if Meta does not plan to sell the headset until next year, teasing it at Connect could still make sense.