Virtual reality headsets and smart glasses are about to get a lot snappier thanks to wholly revised platforms from Qualcomm.
The company today announced the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 for mixed reality (AR and VR) devices and the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 for smart glasses alongside Meta at the latter's Meta Connect event. Qualcomm says improved artificial intelligence performance will help mixed reality devices to better blend physical and virtual worlds and smart glasses to offer high-quality cameras and faster connections.
The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Platform is a single chip that combines both mixed and virtual reality technologies. It targets entertainment, gaming, and productivity headset experiences with much improved visuals. For example, Qualcomm says the XR2 has 2.5x better GPU performance compared with its predecessor and that will help with immersion by boosting clarity, colors, and textures all at higher frame rates.
It can handle up to 3K resolution output per eye. The chip relies on an 8x improvement to on-device AI to provide higher-grade positional tracking. It does this via faster computer vision in concert with support for up to 10 on-device cameras. This will in turn provide more life-like in-experience movement.
Augmented reality devices also stand to gain from the XR2 Gen 2. Qualcomm says the platform is better at merging virtual content with the physical surroundings of the wearer thanks to full-color video pass-through at up to 12ms.
Qualcomm didn't forget about sound. Spatial audio and low-latency audio are supported thanks to the Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite. Last, the platform relies on faster connections thanks to the embedded Qualcomm FastConnect Wi-Fi 6E/7 Platform.
The Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Platform targets smart glasses. For this chip, Qualcomm focused on optimizing power usage to keep thermals in check while still providing the processing cycles needed for a wide range of features. For example, a dual ISP can handle high-quality photo and video capture for live streaming directly from the glasses.
The AR1 supports up to eight microphones for audio capture and playback. On-device AI not only helps with content capture, it enables visual search and real-time translation features. Qualcomm says the AR1 can handle binocular displays, which is better visually for consuming directions, notifications, video and more. The platform also features FastConnect 7800 Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 for the fastest connectivity with the internet and accessories.
Meta hardware will be the first to ship with the new chips from Qualcomm. The Meta Quest 3 with the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and the Ray Ban Stories with the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 will ship by the end of 2023 with other devices to follow in 2024.
Both will go head-to-head with Apple's forthcoming Vision Pro headset, which is slated to launch in early 2024.