The news: ByteDance is working on lightweight mixed-reality goggles that could directly challenge Meta’s products, per The Information.

• The goggles will let users overlay digital images onto their real-world surroundings.
• Unlike bulkier headsets, the device is expected to be compact and lightweight, which could help sidestep usability issues that have plagued Apple’s Vision Pro.

Prior experiments: ByteDance isn’t new to hardware, having previously released a Douyin-integrated smartphone in China and a virtual reality headset called PICO 4.

The TikTok parent has also ventured into mixed reality, with mixed results. After weak PICO sales, it scaled back its MR division, per The Information, and canceled plans for a follow-up device.

Zooming out: Within the next year, Samsung and Google are expected to launch their own smart glasses, and a new generation of the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses and Snap’s Spectacles will also arrive.

Popularity may be driven by consumer preference for lightweight everyday devices, even if they aren’t as powerful as heavy headsets.

ByteDance’s edge: TikTok’s massive user base could help a new device achieve mainstream adoption, and integration with its app could let avid users experience more immersive engagement than a phone can offer.

• Following Meta’s lead with its EssilorLuxottica collaboration, ByteDance could use its brand and an eyewear partnership to position its goggles as a fashion-forward, social-first device.
• Creators could use the goggles for hands-free filming and real-time effects.