Qualcomm drops a couple of XR/AR/MR flavoured chipsets

Chip maker Qualcomm has announced two new ‘spatial computing platforms’ – the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and the Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 which are designed to serve various VR, MR, AR functions.

The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Platform has an emphasis on power efficiency since it’s designed for VR helmets and glasses, features 2.5x better GPU performance than the previous version, and is apparently optimised for up to 3K resolution per eye.

It comes loaded with higher fidelity positional tracking thanks to 8x better on-device AI (again compared to the previous version) accelerated computer vision, and support for up to ten concurrent cameras – which is supposed to make the experience of mooching around in virtual worlds feel more natural and intuitive.

It also promises ‘lag-free XR experiences’ and split rendering optimisations thanks to the Qualcomm FastConnect Wi-Fi 6E/7 Platform and the Qualcomm FastConnect Software Suite for XR. Meanwhile the Snapdragon Sound Technology Suite serves up spatial audio and low-latency audio for wireless headphones or earbuds, we’re told.

The Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 Platform meanwhile is designed for smart glasses. It supports a dual ISP for taking photos and shooting video from a first-person perspective, binocular displays, eight microphones, and comes loaded with on-device AI.

“Qualcomm Technologies has a relentless commitment to building pioneering XR technology and solutions that will transform the future of spatial computing,” said Hugo Swart, vice president and GM of XR, Qualcomm Technologies. “The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and Snapdragon AR1 Platforms are the latest purpose-built processors that are designed to power the next generation of MR and VR devices and sleek smart glasses for all. The commercial debut of these two platforms with our partners at Meta is a further step forward in realising our joint vision – unlocking premium, all-in-one XR devices and smart glasses that are affordable to users around the globe.”

Andrew “Boz” Bosworth, Meta’s CTO and Head of Reality Labs added: “At Meta, we’re focused on developing the technologies of the future in mixed reality and smart glasses, as well as the foundational innovations that will one day power our vision for AR glasses. Building this future computing platform requires an industry-leading partner and this is where our long-standing collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies is critical.

“Together, we are defining next-generation technologies that deliver massive breakthroughs in power, performance, and AI. The latest Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 and Snapdragon AR1 Platforms, which power Meta Quest 3 and our next-generation Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, are another testament to the strength of this partnership and we are thrilled for users around the world to experience them.”

The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Platform will be loaded onto the Meta Quest 3 powered by Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 Platform, and the Snapdragon AR1 Platform will appear on Ray Ban Stories.

Qualcomm recently held an event at it’s San Diego HQ to deliver a series of talks on Wi-Fi 7 and all the enhancements that is supposed to bring to home connectivity – a lot of the point of which seems to hinge on the idea people will be using much more bandwidth hungry VR/AR devices in the future.

A mass market for such things, which firms like Meta and Qualcomm have placed bets on to varying degrees, may not be imminently around the corner if last year’s sales figures are anything to go by however. According to stats from IDC, shipments of AR/VR headsets totalled 8.8 million units last year, a decline of 20.9% on 2021 – noticeably lower than its prediction of around 9.7 million units. The decline was blamed on a limited number of vendors in the market, a challenging macro-economic environment, and a lack of mass market adoption from consumers.

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