Scoble flips on Meta's VR glasses: sales flop feared, hardware still praised

On Sept 27, tech commentator Robert Scoble posted a rapid-fire series of reversals on Meta's new "VR glasses": he retracted his earlier excitement and predicted another sales flop, citing both that many people simply don't wear glasses and his conversations with VR/AR veterans like SadlyItsBradley and Sychov. He did not, however, dismiss the hardware itself.

Confirmed

• Scoble stated the glasses' 50° FOV is larger than any screen the human eye can physically see, greatly improving TV viewing, and called the display chip excellent.
• He argued Meta's real selling point should be the Muse voice assistant — e.g., switching channels to CNN or Fox by voice, paired with an agentic screen.
• Comparing Meta's and Snap's smart glasses, Scoble noted Meta's VR glasses show no real-world passthrough while Snap's do — but Snap's experience falls short once you leave video content for genuine AR use; Snap's glasses are cord- and puck-free.
• He added that without visiting Las Vegas' Sphere, one can't grasp true immersion — implying Meta's glasses still fall short of Sphere-level immersion.
• Developer Haulik built a small WebXR app simulating the FOV difference versus Quest 3; Scoble reshared it, noting content is already being made for the unreleased device.
• Xreal user JamesMcPherson, who owns every Xreal version, said the glasses are far from dead and picture quality will be excellent.

Unconfirmed

• The "sales flop" prediction is Scoble's personal judgment based on private conversations; no sales data exists yet.

Why it matters

• Scoble's about-face captures the industry's classic split over this Meta category: strong hardware specs (50° FOV, display chip) acknowledged even by competitors' users, while wearing habits and use cases remain the concern. Early developer tooling also suggests an ecosystem is forming before the product officially lands.

2026-09-27 ~ 2026-09-27 · 6 related posts

• [source] Scoble walks back Meta VR glasses hype, predicts another sales disaster — Scobleizer · 2026-09-27
• WebXR app emulates FOV of Meta's new VR glasses vs Quest 3 — Scobleizer · 2026-09-27
• [source] Meta's 50-degree FOV glasses "not a dead product," says Xreal owner after hands-on look — JamesMcPherson · 2026-09-27
• [source] Scoble: Meta glasses' 50-degree FOV beats any physical screen, Muse should be the pitch — Scobleizer · 2026-09-27
• Scoble: unless you've been inside the Sphere, you don't know real immersion — Scobleizer · 2026-09-27
• Scoble compares Meta vs Snap glasses: only Snap shows reality, no cord or puck — Scobleizer · 2026-09-27