Oakley Meta HSTN vs Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)

Meta and Oakley announced HSTN on 20 June 2025 (Meta says it’s pronounced HOW-stuhn), three months before Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2) arrived on 17 September 2025. Under the frames the two are close on paper, so this comes down to style, sweat and a couple of camera details.

The differences at a glance

Spec	Oakley Meta HSTN	Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)
US price	From $399; Limited Edition $499	From $379
Announced	20 June 2025	17 September 2025; on sale the same day in most countries
Frames	Oakley HSTN	Wayfarer, Skyler, Headliner
Water	IPX4	Not published
Photos	Megapixels not published	12 MP (Meta’s May 2026 guide)
Video	Ultra HD (3K)	3K Ultra HD, ultrawide HDR, up to 60 fps
Battery	Up to 8 hours typical use; up to 19 hours standby	Up to 8 hours typical use
Charging case	Up to 48 hours	Adds 48 hours
Quick charge	50% in 20 minutes	50% in 20 minutes
Speakers	Open-ear	Open-ear
Microphones	Not published	Not published
Frame material	O-Matter	Not published
Prescription	Not published	−12.00 to +6.00 (SPH+CYL) on Meta.com
Weight	Not published	Not published
Display in the lens	None	None

The frame is the real choice

HSTN is built on Oakley’s HSTN shape, a performance frame, and Meta’s May 2026 buying guide describes it as lightweight, durable O-Matter. Gen 2 launched in three Ray-Ban styles: Wayfarer, Skyler and Headliner. Meta has since added Blayzer Optics and Scriber Optics from $499, but those are later styles at a higher price, not the $379 launch set.

If you wear prescription glasses, Gen 2 has the clearer answer. Meta.com lists its prescription lenses from −12.00 to +6.00, sphere plus cylinder. Meta gives no range for HSTN, so check Oakley’s lens options for the exact frame before you order.

Sweat and rain: only HSTN is rated

HSTN is rated IPX4. That covers sweat and rain from any direction, not a swim. It’s the only one of the two with a water rating, so if you’ll sweat through runs or ride home in the rain, HSTN is the safer pick.

Cameras: both 3K, with different detail

Both record 3K video. Gen 2’s is the more detailed promise: 3K Ultra HD with ultrawide HDR at up to 60 frames per second, which Meta says is more than twice the pixels of the previous generation. For photos, Meta’s 2026 buying guide lists 12 megapixels for Gen 2. HSTN records Ultra HD video, which Meta also calls 3K.

Meta promised hyperlapse and slow motion for its AI glasses in a software update later in fall 2025, so neither pair gets them exclusively. Meta’s later posts about its Display model also say Ray-Ban Meta glasses show a light while the camera is on.

Battery: a tie

Both are rated for up to 8 hours of typical use, and Meta says Gen 2’s 8 hours is almost twice what Gen 1 managed. Both charge to 50% in 20 minutes. HSTN also lists up to 19 hours on standby, but standby isn’t time in use, so it doesn’t make HSTN the longer-lasting pair.

The cases come out even too: HSTN’s is rated for up to 48 hours, and Gen 2’s adds 48 more.

Meta AI, sound and translation

Both play audio through open-ear speakers and answer to “Hey Meta”. Gen 2 launched with German and Portuguese added to live translation. Meta also announced conversation focus, which it says amplifies the person you’re facing, as coming soon for both Ray-Ban Meta and HSTN, so it isn’t a reason to pick one over the other.

What they cost

HSTN’s Limited Edition opened for preorder at $499 on 11 July 2025, and the regular collection starts at $399. Gen 2 launched at $379 on 17 September 2025, and Meta kept Gen 1 on sale alongside it from $299.

At $399 against $379, price barely separates them. A $499 Limited Edition HSTN is the one where you’d be paying extra for the finish. Prices move, so check Meta, Oakley and Ray-Ban before you buy.

If neither fits

For harder sport, Oakley’s wraparound Vanguard is the step up: see Oakley Meta HSTN vs Oakley Meta Vanguard. Meta Ray-Ban Display is the one with text in the lens, and a movie screen means USB-C display glasses instead. No camera wanted at all? Echo Frames leave it out.