I have spent years inside virtual stadiums on the Meta Quest, chasing hundreds and defending last-over chases in iB Cricket. Stepping through the gates at the real Edgbaston with a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses on my face was a different kind of immersion.
The reel I posted is shot entirely from my point of view. No phone held up, no selfie stick, no fumbling for the camera while the next ball is about to be bowled. Just the glasses, the ground, and the atmosphere of one of English cricket’s great venues.
What the glasses actually capture at a cricket ground
Edgbaston is a proper Test and limited-overs venue: the Pavilion End, the Birmingham End, the steep stands, the scoreboard, and that distinctive Birmingham skyline. From first-person view the pitch looks bigger than it does on television. The crowd noise sits around you rather than coming out of a speaker. Walking the concourse, looking across the outfield, or sitting in the stands, the 12MP ultra-wide camera (3K video on the current Gen 2 models) picks up the colour of the grass, the advertising hoardings, and the movement of fielders without you having to frame a shot.
The practical advantages at a match are straightforward:
- Hands stay free. You can clap, hold a pint (where allowed), or just watch the cricket.
- You stay present. You are not staring at a phone screen between overs.
- Short clips and stills are easy to grab with a voice command or a tap on the temple.
- Meta AI can answer quick questions without you leaving the moment — scores, player names, or even “what stand is that?” if you are new to the ground.
Battery life on the Gen 2 glasses is up to eight hours plus extra from the charging case, which is enough for a full day’s play if you are not recording constantly. Storage is 32GB — plenty for a matchday’s worth of clips if you are selective.
A few real-world notes from the day
Edgbaston’s ground regulations allow personal photography and video. Professional long-lens kits are restricted; a pair of glasses that look like ordinary Ray-Bans is not. The white LED recording light is visible when you are filming, which is the responsible way to use them in a public crowd. I kept recording bursts short and avoided pointing them at people who clearly did not want to be on camera.
The glasses are not a replacement for a proper broadcast feed or a big-screen replay. They are a personal record of being there — the walk in, the first view of the square, the roar when a boundary is hit, the chatter in the stands. That is the same feeling I try to recreate when I step into a virtual Lord’s or Edgbaston-style ground in iB Cricket. The real thing still hits differently.
Where to buy the Ray-Ban Meta glasses (UK)
The current range is Ray-Ban Meta Gen 2 (Wayfarer, Skyler, Headliner and optical versions). Gen 1 models are still available at lower prices.
Official places to buy:
- Ray-Ban UK official store — full range, prescription options, click-and-collect.
- High-street and online retailers including Sunglass Hut, Currys, EE and authorised Ray-Ban dealers. Prices typically start around £379 for Gen 2 (clear or tinted lenses) and rise to £459 with Transitions lenses. Gen 1 pairs can still be found closer to £224–£299.
If you wear prescription lenses, the optical frames (Blayzer and Scriber Optics) are worth considering so you do not have to choose between seeing the cricket and using the tech.
VR cricket and the real thing
I still spend most of my cricket hours in the headset. The Quest 3 and Quest 3S remain the best way to play proper innings whenever you want. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses do not replace that. They sit alongside it: one pair of glasses for the living-room nets and virtual grounds, another pair for the days you actually get to Edgbaston, Lord’s or your local county ground.
If you already own a Quest and use my code VRCGUY in the Meta Store for games, these glasses are a natural next step if you want to capture real-world cricket without a phone in your hand.
Have you used smart glasses at a live match? Drop a comment and tell me how they performed. Keep swinging.