TikTok Is Quietly Building Mixed Reality Goggles to Challenge Meta

Despite temporarily pausing its VR headset line, TikTok parent company ByteDance is not leaving the market. In order to compete with Meta’s next-gen devices, the company is now clandestinely creating lightweight mixed reality (MR) goggles.

“Project Swan” Mixed Reality Goggles

For processing power and weight relief, TikTok’s prototype goggles feature a puck the size of a pocket, as opposed to traditional bulky headsets. No bulky armour here; just small, fashionable spectacles that distort your view. Internally known as “Project Swan,” the design’s stated goal is to provide more streamlined mixed reality experiences, with the ultimate goal of competing with products like Meta’s “Puffin” headset and Apple Vision Pro.

ByteDance’s core engineering teams, retained by its Pico division after it discontinued the Pico 5 headset last year due to slow sales, developed Project Swan. The company now prioritizes wearability and user comfort over raw specs and appears committed to its long-term MR vision.

Reportedly, these MR goggles have high-resolution passthrough cameras and bespoke low-latency chips that allow for a seamless superimposition of digital images onto physical space. Fashionably practical technology that is ready for real-world use is the focus, rather than tethering users to massive headsets.

How ByteDance Wants to Tread Ahead

Thanks to its extensive ecosystem and strategy that is friendly to fragmentation, Meta remains dominant with its Quest series and upcoming “Puffin” MR goggles. Sleekness and affordability, though, are ByteDance’s bets. Their rumored partnership with Qualcomm and the lightweight design cues inspired by the Bigscreen Beyond headset indicate a smart, consumer-first play.

We don’t yet have information about the device’s launch date, price, or worldwide availability, so it’s hard to make an accurate comparison to reality. Current Pico headsets aren’t sold in the US, and regulatory and geopolitical hurdles are likely to delay the release of ByteDance’s MR glasses.

Nonetheless, the idea is intriguing: mixed reality spectacles that you could wear anywhere, not just inside the house. Elegance is being exchanged for power in ByteDance. And if this risk pays off, mixed reality goggles may be able to ditch its clunky look and join as the prime modular device.