The man who coined Metaverse now says Meta’s glasses are creepy | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.The man who coined Metaverse now says Meta’s glasses are creepyComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...TechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsVirtual RealityCloseVirtual RealityPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Virtual RealityThe man who coined Metaverse now says Meta’s glasses are creepy“People don’t like wearing things on their faces and don’t trust those who do.”“People don’t like wearing things on their faces and don’t trust those who do.”by Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterMar 24, 2026, 8:08 PM UTCLinkShareGiftNeal Stephenson speaks onstage during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Austin Convention Center on March 16, 2022 in Austin, Texas. Getty Images for SXSWSean HollisterCloseSean HollisterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean Hollister is a senior editor and founding member of The Verge who covers gadgets, games, and toys. He spent 15 years editing the likes of CNET, Gizmodo, and Engadget.Neal Stephenson didn’t invent the virtual reality headset. But Meta certainly knows his name — in 1992, his seminal cyberpunk novel Snow Crash coined the phrase “Metaverse” to describe a virtual reality world experienced through VR goggles. It inspired many key VR developers — and in 2021, Facebook decided to rename its entire company to Meta to chase that metaverse dream.Now, Stephenson says he no longer believes face-worn computing is the future. He thinks Meta’s glasses are creepy: “People don’t like wearing things on their faces and don’t trust those who do.” He thinks goggles are no longer the future in a world in a world filled with phones: “There is no business case for headsets any more.”He says he’s changed his mind overall:When I was working at Magic Leap, and people asked me why I thought that was a good idea, I would ask the rhetorical question: “do you really think that twenty years from now everyone is still going to be going around all day staring at little rectangles in their hands?” At the time it seemed obvious to me that the answer was no.Reader, I have changed my mind. Twenty years from now, everyone is still going to be staring at handheld rectangles. Or at least that is the case if the only alternative is wearing things on their faces.And, he says, shrinking headsets down to the size of glasses won’t work as long as they stay creepy.In his blog post, which is worth reading in full, it sounds like he’s tacitly agreeing with Meta, and with Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, and quite possibly with Google which is quietly building a new category of “metaverse” apps, that the “Metaverse” doesn’t need to be about virtual reality anymore. It can refer to simpler flat games. It’s convenient for those companies that the man who coined “Metaverse” doesn’t mind them using it that way.But it may hurt that he thinks the hardware is so creepy.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Sean HollisterCloseSean HollisterSenior EditorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Sean HollisterNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechVirtual RealityCloseVirtual RealityPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Virtual RealityMost PopularMost PopularNvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘I think we’ve achieved AGI’The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the USDonut Lab’s solid-state battery could barely hold a charge after getting damagedConfronting the CEO of the AI company that impersonated meVideoAyaneo says selling its Windows gaming handheld ‘is no longer sustainable’The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Neal Stephenson, the originator of the term “Metaverse” through his 1992 cyberpunk novel *Snow Crash*, has expressed a significant shift in his perspective regarding Meta’s current endeavors, specifically the company’s line of augmented reality glasses. In a recent blog post published on March 24, 2026, Stephenson conveyed a deeply skeptical opinion of these devices, stating that “People don’t like wearing things on their faces and don’t trust those who do.” His assessment fundamentally challenges the premise of Meta’s long-held ambition to realize a fully immersive “Metaverse” centered around wearable computing platforms.

Stephenson’s concerns are rooted in a rejection of the envisioned future of bulky, headset-based virtual reality experiences. He argues that the technological landscape has evolved, rendering such devices impractical. He posits that the business case for persistent, high-end headsets has diminished, citing a preference among consumers for the more accessible and currently dominant form of handheld computing – smartphones. He draws a parallel to his past reflections on Magic Leap, questioning the sustained viability of wearing devices that continuously require focused visual attention.

A key element of his critique centers on the persistent “creepiness” associated with wearing computing devices on one’s face. Stephenson believes that the inherent discomfort and lack of trust engendered by wearing technology directly undermines the potential of glasses to become a mainstream solution within the Metaverse. He believes the fundamental design flaw lies in the attempt to force immersion through visual augmentation—a proposition he finds fundamentally flawed.

Notably, Stephenson's shift in opinion aligns with observations made by other industry figures, including Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney and potentially Google, who are exploring alternative approaches to metaverse development. This includes a movement away from solely VR-centric experiences toward more accessible, lower-fidelity applications, such as simpler games and interactive content. His expressed view effectively reframes the “Metaverse” – at least from his perspective – not as a requirement for complex, immersive headgear, but as a conceptual space enabled by a range of devices, including smartphones.

Ultimately, Stephenson’s statement represents a potent critique of Meta’s strategic direction. He essentially suggests that Meta’s pursuit of wearable computing is misaligned with current consumer behavior and technological trends. It’s a commentary that questions the very definition and future of the “Metaverse” itself, highlighting the importance of adapting to evolving user preferences and technological capabilities.