Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, which will improve the mixed reality experience in a new generation of devices.
The company revealed the new chip architecture at a press conference ahead of CES 2024.
With a resolution of 4.3K per eye and 90 frames per second, the chip takes spatial computing to the next level.
Five manufacturers are developing new devices based on the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, including Samsung and HTC.
Qualcomm's new Snapdragon XR+ Gen 2 chip enables 4K spatial computing.
Most of the processing is done intelligently, with features like Preferred View, which blurs unseen areas of the image, saving processing and battery resources.
This advancement represents a huge step forward for mixed reality and virtual reality experiences in a variety of applications as it seamlessly blends real and digital environments.
The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip delivers a 15% increase in GPU frequency and a 20% increase in CPU frequency compared to previous Snapdragon processors.
Overall GPU performance has been improved by 2.5x compared to the previous generation.
The chip supports 12 or more simultaneous cameras, as well as powerful on-device AI capabilities to easily track users and environments, improving mobility and experiences that connect the physical and digital worlds.
As the augmented and virtual reality market continues to grow and produce different forms of devices, from glasses to new headsets to mobile devices, it is clear that Qualcomm's new chips could spawn a new generation of devices.
These devices require cameras or smart sensors, and the use cases have exploded. Qualcomm says it has six different Snapdragon chipset series to serve the mixed reality market.
Samsung and Google are preparing to deliver advanced mixed reality experiences with the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip.
Qualcomm also showed off mixed reality and virtual reality reference designs developed by Goertek using Tobii's eye-tracking technology.
This reference design supports 3K per eye with Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip or 4K per eye with Snapdragon
Qualcomm believes the devices could appear in 2024, but shipping dates depend on the manufacturer's decision.