Reality Labs

Reality Labs is Meta Platforms’ research and development division for spatial computing, immersive software and wearable hardware. Its work spans virtual, augmented and mixed reality, combining consumer product engineering with longer-term research into how people perceive, navigate and interact with digital environments. The division brings together hardware, software, industrial design and scientific research across an international network of engineering facilities.

The organization traces its operational beginnings to Oculus Research, established following Facebook’s acquisition of Oculus VR in 2014. It subsequently expanded through internal hardware initiatives, including Building 8, and acquisitions such as neural-interface specialist CTRL-labs in 2019. Facebook consolidated its consumer hardware, virtual reality, augmented reality and Portal device activities under Facebook Reality Labs in August 2020. The division adopted the Reality Labs name in 2021 following its parent company’s transition to Meta Platforms.

Products and platforms

Reality Labs develops the Meta Quest headset family, associated controllers and wearable devices including Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Its software work includes Meta HorizonOS, the spatial computing operating system, alongside immersive social and collaboration environments such as Meta Horizon Worlds and Meta Horizon Workrooms. Developer APIs, SDKs and creation tools connect its device engineering with applications and experiences built for those platforms.

Its capabilities extend across computer vision, machine perception, spatial audio, microelectronics, sensor engineering and custom silicon. These disciplines support both consumer devices and experimental systems intended to advance interaction, environmental understanding and visual presentation. The division’s activities serve consumer electronics, interactive entertainment, wearable technology and enterprise collaboration.

Research and development

Alongside product development, Reality Labs Research investigates emerging display architectures, neural interfaces, realistic digital representations of people and contextual artificial intelligence. Its research includes microLED displays, holographic waveguides, haptic feedback and electromyography-based input. This combination of applied engineering and exploratory research supports the division’s broader work on spatial computing systems, from sensing and processing to displays and human interaction.