Meta is considering new mixed reality glasses as an alternative to headsets, reports The Information

(Reuters) – Meta Platforms (META) is planning a mixed reality device that resembles clunky glasses, The Information reported on Wednesday, citing two employees of the social media giant.

The new project, internally codenamed “Puffin,” focuses on developing an alternative to Facebook parent company's heavy headsets, which have limited appeal to consumers, the report added.

Meta did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Mixed reality combines augmented and virtual reality and enables interaction between real and digital objects.

Augmented reality overlays text, sounds, graphics and videos onto the real images the user sees in front of them, while virtual reality places the user in a completely artificial environment, creating computer-generated experiences.

Puffin will be a significantly smaller device than Meta's existing Quest headsets, the report added. The project is still in its early stages and is planned for 2027.

Meta's Reality Labs division, which is responsible for developing and marketing the Quest line of VR headsets, has suffered billions of dollars in financial losses. Despite this, CEO Mark Zuckerberg remains optimistic about the future prospects of augmented and virtual reality technologies.

Unlike the Quest headsets, the new Puffin device will not have hand controls, according to the report, as users will be able to control it with hand gestures and eye movements.

The virtual and mixed reality headset market gained renewed attention following Apple's entry last year, although sales of the Vision Pro faced challenges due to its high price tag of nearly $3,500.

(Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)