Meta is preparing its most ambitious avatar demonstration yet for Connect, the developer conference running September 23 and 24.

According to The Information, the centrepiece of the show is a demonstration of hologram-like video calls, built on a newer generation of Meta’s photorealistic Codec Avatars. The headset in question is Project Phoenix.

Chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and chief technology officer Andrew Bosworth are expected to run the demo live during the keynote. Road to VR notes it is unclear whether the session amounts to a commercial launch or another glimpse at unfinished research, as in previous years.

The research dates back to 2015. Meta’s avatars have stayed cartoonish for years, a leftover from its metaverse era that the company set aside when it turned toward AI and wearables. Matching Apple’s Personas, the most lifelike avatars shipping on a headset today, would be a step up.

Phoenix is the hardware half of that shift: a slim, light headset that tethers to a pocketable compute puck, moving weight and heat off the wearer’s head. Leaked images and setup clips have circulated for weeks, and Meta is also expected to reveal a camera-free pair of smart glasses, codenamed Luna, at the same event.

Source: Road to VR