Best Buy and Meta are expanding their partnership in a big way. This summer, more than 50 Best Buy stores across the United States will feature new “Meta Lab @ Best Buy” spaces focused on AI glasses and VR headsets.
The idea here is pretty simple. Products like smart glasses are hard to understand from photos or online videos alone. People want to know how they fit, how they feel, and whether they would actually use them in everyday life.
That is where these new Meta Lab spaces come in.
Each location will be roughly 900 square feet and include hands-on demos, smart mirrors, virtual try-ons, and interactive displays for products like the Meta Quest 3 and Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses lineup.
According to Best Buy, more than half of customers interested in Meta AI glasses want to see the products in person before making a purchase. Honestly, that makes sense. Wearable tech is far more personal than buying a laptop or phone online.
One of the more interesting features is a smart mirror system that lets customers virtually try different frame styles and colors. There are also demos showing how the lenses react to changing light conditions, along with guided Meta AI prompts that demonstrate some of the glasses’ built-in features.
Best Buy says shoppers will also be able to test gesture controls that let users interact with the glasses without needing to pull out a smartphone. Meanwhile, Quest 3 demos will focus on gaming, entertainment, and fitness experiences.
The first Meta Lab locations are launching this month in California, Minnesota, New Jersey, South Carolina, and Ohio, with additional stores opening throughout the summer.
For Meta, this feels like an acknowledgment that AI wearables need in-person experiences to really connect with consumers. And for Best Buy, it is another example of physical retail leaning into hands-on experiences that online shopping simply cannot replicate.
Whether AI glasses become mainstream remains to be seen, but Meta and Best Buy clearly want more people trying the technology for themselves.
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