Mobile virtual reality got a confidence boost today from chip maker ARM, which announced a new suite of mobile processors that can run higher resolution displays without instantly draining batteries.
The Mali G71 mobile GPU will deliver a 50 percent increase in graphics performance and a 20 percent increase in power efficiency over current chips. Meanwhile, the new A73 refreshes the Cortex line of processors, which are commonly found in TVs, routers, modems, and tablets, in addition to smartphones.
"In 2017, we will see devices with the Cortex-A73 and Mali-G71 processors that stand out thanks to their impressive and sustained performance, and even more stunning visuals," said ARM VP Pete Hutton in a statement. "This technology can make engaging with 4K video, virtual reality and augmented reality an everyday experience on a mobile device."
Indeed, bringing VR to smartphones could be a way to increase the technology's appeal to everyday consumers uninterested in first-generation VR headsets like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, which are expensive and often rely on powerful desktop PCs to run their graphics.
High-end smartphones, on the other hand, can run VR applications while they're docked to a $99 Samsung Gear VR or a free Google Cardboard headset. Organizations like Mozilla, as well as many game studios and video producers, are already working on software to run smartphone VR apps, but they're still limited by the hardware constraints.
That's where the new ARM chips come in. They pave the way for higher frame rates and denser displays that would otherwise be too power-hungry for smartphones. ARM's GPU standards are already the foundation for several VR APIs, including Vulkan. Add in the fact that the chips themselves are already widely used by device manufacturers like Samsung, and ARM has a compelling VR toolkit.