ByteDance Challenges Meta with Lightweight Mixed Reality Headset, Emphasizes Portability and Performance
July 15, 2025
The design aims for the goggles to be very lightweight, with a target weight around 0.28 pounds, emphasizing portability and comfort.
Although details are limited, Meta's headset may be priced under $1000 and could include features like automatic IPD adjustment and facial unlock systems.
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is actively developing mixed reality goggles to compete with Meta's upcoming products, following its history of following Meta's innovations.
The new goggles are designed to be compact and lightweight, similar in size to the Bigscreen Beyond VR headset, moving away from bulky traditional headsets.
The device is being developed by ByteDance's VR startup Pico, which previously released the Pico 4 VR headset.
Meta's Horizon OS ultralight headset is now projected for release in 2027, though some reports suggest it could arrive as early as the end of 2026 under the codename 'Phoenix'.
Although the Pico 5 was previously canceled to explore a competitor to the Apple Vision Pro, current focus has shifted toward developing a lightweight mixed reality headset.
ByteDance is developing a lightweight mixed reality headset that closely resembles Meta's upcoming devices, aiming for a compact design similar to the Bigscreen Beyond VR headset.
While specific details remain unclear, the goggles are expected to look similar to Meta's next mixed reality device, with a focus on lightweight and sleek design.
To achieve a lighter weight, the goggles will connect via a wired link to a separate computing puck that handles most processing tasks.
ByteDance is also working on specialized chips for these goggles, similar to Apple's R1 Chip used in the Vision Pro, to reduce latency and improve performance.
The unnamed ByteDance headset will feature a tethered compute puck to reduce weight, aligning with Meta's design approach for lightweight mixed reality devices.
Meta has shifted its focus from developing the Quest 4 to creating lightweight mixed reality goggles, signaling a trend toward smart glasses over traditional VR headsets.
Summary based on 2 sources