Meta is ready to roll out its latest hardware and software trinkets this week, with Facebook‘s parent company set to host Meta Connect 2024. Here’s how to watch this year’s event.
What is Meta Connect?
Previously called Facebook Connect (and Oculus Connect before that), Meta Connect is an annual event where the company shows off all its shiny new tech and what developers can do with it. It’s been the venue for some pretty big announcements as well, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg announcing Facebook’s rebrand to Meta during 2021’s Facebook Connect.
We aren’t expecting any similarly large revelations from the tech giant at this week’s event. What we are expecting, however, are new product announcements, information about Meta’s metaverse plans, and a whole lot of talk about AI.
What to expect at Meta Connect 2024
While we don’t know the exact details of what Meta plans to announce this Wednesday, Facebook’s parent company is expected to continue last year’s heavy focus on AI. According to rumours, Meta’s announcements may include updates on the company’s artificially intelligent assistant Meta AI, as well as a more budget-friendly Quest 3 and a new pair of augmented reality glasses.
If you want to know more about what to expect, Mashable’s Kimberly Gedeon has provided a rundown of all the rumours circulating in the lead-up to Meta Connect 2024.
How to watch Meta Connect 2024
Meta Connect 2024 is scheduled to start Sept. 25 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT, with a keynote speech by Zuckerberg kicking off the event. This will be followed by a developer keynote shared by several Meta executives at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. The livestream will be available to watch on Facebook via the official Meta for Developers page.
People with a Quest VR headset will also be able to jump into Meta Horizon to watch Meta Connect in virtual reality. According to Meta, the VR experience will be inspired by the company’s Menlo Park campus in California, and offer attendees the chance to unlock “exclusive rewards.” Whether the promise of such nebulous incentives is worth it is a question only you can answer.
Meta Connect 2024 will run for two days, featuring talks on how to use some of the tech giant’s tools for developers. You won’t have to stay glued to your computer for the entire event, as some of the sessions will be recorded and made available to stream once Meta Connect ends. Meta hasn’t specified which parts of the program might be left out though, so you’d be best off catching it live if you’re super keen on a specific session.