Could Augmented Reality Glasses, Retinal Implant Help Restore Vision?

By Vered Hazanchuk for the American Academy of Ophthalmology Published Nov. 10, 2025

For years, people living with geographic atrophy have experienced the slow loss of their central vision. Geographic atrophy, an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), can sometimes be slowed, but not stopped or reversed. Now, a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine has people wondering: Could the use of augmented reality (AR) glasses along with a computer chip implant help cure what, until now, has been considered irreversible vision loss?

Experts are cautiously optimistic. “It’s a small, but interesting study,” said ophthalmologist and retinal specialist Sunir Garg, MD. Of 32 patients using a retinal implant paired with AR glasses, known as the PRIMA system, 81% experienced an improvement in visual acuity at the end of one year. Larger studies are needed to confirm the treatment’s long-term safety and effectiveness.

Can Vision Loss From Geographic Atrophy Be Treated?

Geographic atrophy is an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) caused by loss of cells in part of the retina. Because there is no current treatment able to reverse or restore vision loss from geographic atrophy, retina specialists can slow vision loss with current FDA approved treatments and rehabilitation teams can help patients make the most of their remaining vision.

PRIMA is not currently FDA approved or available to patients. Larger studies are needed before the product can become widely available.

How Can Augmented Reality Glasses Help People With Geographic Atrophy?

PRIMA augmented glasses capture footage of the world around the user with a built-in camera, which then transmits the image to the tiny chip implanted in the user’s eye. Similar technology has been tested to help patients experiencing vision loss from other retinal diseases, though patient feedback has been mixed.

“In previous situations, most patients were only turning on the visual assistance for specific tasks, like walking down a hallway or while sitting at their dining room table, rather than using it all day. It’s unclear if the reason for this is personal habit or related to the amount of vision from the device itself,” said Dr. Garg.

In addition to having to wear the AR glasses all day, the device currently only allows for black and white vision. The retinal implant requires surgery and the device itself requires some significant user training that may deter certain patients.  

“Some patients living with low vision may already have routines in parts of their lives that work well for them and only need the extra visual assistance for specific tasks,” Dr. Garg said. “As more patients test the device, I’d be interested in learning about how this particular tool is most useful to people in their day-to-day lives.”