Meta Wearables

Meta Wearables — Router and Capability Matrix

Meta ships several wearables under one platform, and the build path differs sharply by device. This skill is the router: it pins down the target device, the build path, and the distribution timeline before any other Meta skill runs.

First, ask the user

Before recommending anything, get these answers:

1. Which Meta device are you targeting?

   • Meta Ray-Ban Display (the 2025 model with the in-lens HUD) → Web Apps path → [[../meta-display-webapps/SKILL]]
   • Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 / Oakley HSTN / Oakley Vanguard → DAT path → [[../meta-wearables-dat/SKILL]]
   • Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 → DAT path with reduced capabilities → [[../meta-wearables-dat/SKILL]] and see [[references/gen-1-constraints]]
   • Multi-target or unsure → walk the user through [[references/device-matrix]]

2. Do you have the device physically, or are you building blind?

   • Physical: include hardware-verification steps in every recipe.
   • Blind: lead with [[../meta-wearables-dat/references/mock-device-kit]] for DAT or the preview-URL flow for Web Apps. Many things can be built without hardware; some can't.

3. What's your distribution timeline?

   • "I want it on a friend's glasses next week" → dev preview path; see [[references/dev-preview-status]].
   • "I'm shipping a public product in 2026" → see [[references/distribution-2026]] for what's gated and when.

When to load

Triggers:

• "Which Meta glasses can I build for"
• "Ray-Ban Display vs Ray-Ban Meta vs Oakley"
• "What's DAT vs Web Apps"
• "Capability matrix Meta wearables"
• "Can my app run on Gen 1"
• "When can I ship to the public"

Don't load for:

• A user with a known target — route directly to [[../meta-display-webapps/SKILL]] or [[../meta-wearables-dat/SKILL]].
• Snap, Xreal, Brilliant, or other vendors — wrong provider.

Decide first

The architecture decisions the developer must lock before writing code:

1. Display target. MRBD has an in-lens display. Every other Meta wearable does not. The single biggest decision — see [[references/display-vs-no-display]].
2. Build path. Web Apps (MRBD-only, HTML/CSS/JS, runs on-glasses) or Device Access Toolkit (extends an iOS/Android app, runs on phone, glasses are sensors + output).
3. Input modality. Neural Band EMG, Cap Touch, voice, or motion sensors — see [[references/neural-band]], [[references/cap-touch]], [[references/voice-input]].
4. Distribution constraint. Dev preview (password-protected URL or up to 100 testers) vs public (gated to 2026 broader rollout).

Map of content

Devices and what each can do

• [[references/device-matrix]] — the full capability matrix across Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1/2, Oakley HSTN, Oakley Vanguard, and Meta Ray-Ban Display.
• [[references/display-vs-no-display]] — the single biggest decision, called out separately because it dominates everything else.
• [[references/gen-1-constraints]] — what's reduced on Ray-Ban Meta Gen 1 specifically.

Build paths

• [[references/build-paths]] — Web Apps vs DAT decision tree, with the "which path can build what" table.

Input modalities

• [[references/neural-band]] — the Meta Neural Band EMG wristband, gesture set, and which devices support it.
• [[references/cap-touch]] — MRBD's temple Cap Touch controls.
• [[references/voice-input]] — voice via Meta AI; what's exposed to your app.

Distribution and prerequisites

• [[references/dev-preview-status]] — what's in dev preview vs general availability (as of 2026-05).
• [[references/distribution-2026]] — the path from dev preview to broader 2026 distribution.
• [[references/version-dependencies]] — the exact Meta AI app version, glasses firmware version, and OS version each path requires.

Verify

Before recommending an implementation path, confirm:

• The target device(s) are explicitly named.
• The build path (Web Apps vs DAT) is chosen with rationale.
• The input modality is matched to the device's actual support.
• The distribution constraint is understood — dev preview vs broader 2026.
• The capability matrix has been checked for the chosen device — no recipe assumes a capability that device doesn't have.

Smoke test

If this skill loaded correctly, the agent should answer:

1. Can a Web App run on Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2? (Expected: no — Web Apps are MRBD-only; Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 uses the DAT path.)
2. Does MRBD currently support DAT display output? (Expected: no — DAT support for MRBD is camera-receive only as of 2026-05; see [[references/device-matrix]].)
3. What's the difference between Cap Touch and the Meta Neural Band as input? (Expected: Cap Touch is on-glasses temple touch, native to MRBD; Neural Band is a separate EMG wristband; cite [[references/cap-touch]] and [[references/neural-band]].)
4. Why won't a developer's app reach the App Store today via DAT? (Expected: DAT iOS does not yet support App Store publishing due to MFi/privacy-manifest requirements; see [[../meta-wearables-dat/SKILL]].)

Sibling skills

• [[../meta-display-webapps/SKILL]] — the Web Apps path in detail.
• [[../meta-wearables-dat/SKILL]] — the DAT path in detail.
• [[../meta-display-design/SKILL]] — UX patterns once the target is decided.

Sources

• Build for Display Glasses (announcement) — https://developers.meta.com/blog/build-for-display-glasses/
• Meta Wearables developer hub — https://wearables.developer.meta.com
• Meta Ray-Ban Display launch — https://www.meta.com/blog/meta-ray-ban-display-ai-glasses-connect-2025/