Justin Sullivan
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) on Thursday unveiled a new chip architecture, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, that could put several mixed reality headsets on equal footing with Apple's ( AAPL ) upcoming Vision Pro.
The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 will offer 4.3K spatial computing at 90 frames per second to improve visual clarity. The new architecture, which is based on the recently announced Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, will have “more realistic and detailed experiences” in both mixed reality and virtual reality, Qualcomm said. It will also offer higher frequencies for both GPU and CPU by 15% and 20%, respectively.
“Snapdragon the vice president and general manager of Qualcomm. Hugo Swart said in a statement. “We are advancing our commitment to powering the best XR devices and experiences that will power our immersive future.”
Qualcomm said Samsung (OTCPK:SSNLF) and Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) would use the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 in their respective upcoming mixed reality devices.
Qualcomm also introduced a new Goertek VR and mixed reality reference design to accelerate time to market for manufacturers.
The news comes as Apple is reportedly ramping up production of its Vision Pro, which the company has billed as its first spatial computing device.
The Vision Pro comes with visionOS, which Apple described as “the world's first space operating system.” It has an ultra-high resolution display system that comes with 23 million pixels across two displays and custom Apple silicon in a unique dual-chip design.
The $3,499 device is expected to officially go on sale, perhaps next month.
