Meta is undergoing a restructuring within its Reality Labs division. This move involves layoffs and a renewed focus on developing its Metaverse and Augmented Reality (AR) hardware products. While the correct number of employees affected by the job cuts remains undisclosed, reports suggest they are targeted and focused on streamlining leadership positions within the newly reorganized structure.
Meta’s Reality Labs division is undergoing a reorganization. Instead of being one big group, it will now be split into two separate sections: Metaverse and Wearables. The Metaverse group will focus on everything related to virtual reality, including their popular VR headsets and the social network they’re building for the Metaverse. The Wearables group will handle all their other hardware projects, like the smart glasses they’re developing with Ray-Ban.
Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Success Hints at Future AR Direction
An internal memo gotten by a publication sheds light on Meta’s future plans.  In the memo, Meta’s Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Bosworth, expresses optimism about the company’s latest Ray-Ban smart glasses collaboration, describingit as “a much bigger success than we expected.”  This positive outlook suggests that AR glasses may play a significant role in Meta’s hardware roadmap. Reports indicate that Meta is already developing a new iteration of Ray-Ban smart glasses that will incorporate a heads-up display and a wristband attributing a neural interface for controlling the glasses. Addlitionally, Meta is reportedly making strides in the making of its high-end AR glasses, codenamed Orion, which boast full holographic displays.
Bosworth Emphasizes Commitment to Both AR and Metaverse
Bosworth’s memo underscores Meta’s commitment to both AR and the Metaverse. He highlights the success of Meta’s existing AI devices and emphasizes the company’s dedication to “finding a strong product market fit for wearable Meta AI, building a business around it, and expanding the audience.”  Bosworth reiterates Meta’s core objective of “overlaying digital content seamlessly onto the physical world,” suggesting that the company remains committed to its AR aspirations. Furthermore, he emphasizes Meta’s unwavering commitment to Horizon, the social network platform envisioned as a cornerstone of the company’s Metaverse strategy. Bosworth expresses confidence that the new organizational structure will “reduce overhead and permit people across teams to come together and execute with a more unified view of who our customers are and how we can best serve them.”
While the layoffs within Reality Labs represent a challenging moment for some employees, Meta portrays the restructuring as a strategic move designed to enhance efficiency and accelerate innovation. By streamlining operations and consolidating resources within the Metaverse and Wearables groups, Meta aims to strengthen its focus on developing industry-leading VR and AR hardware products.  The success of the Ray-Ban smart glasses collaboration and the ongoing development of more advanced AR glasses suggest that Meta is placing a significant bet on the future of augmented reality. Whether Meta can achieve its ambitious goals in the Metaverse and AR space remains to be seen, but the company’s restructuring and continued investment in these areas signal its unwavering commitment to shaping the future of human-computer interaction.
