Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon XR1 Chip Designed Specifically for AR/VR Headsets

Image: Qualcomm

The chip-making giant, Qualcomm, has already positioned itself as a dominant player in the virtual and augmented reality space. In order to solidify this position, Qualcomm recently announced an extended reality (XR) platform which the company calls the “first dedicated XR platform.”

Qualcomm also unveiled the Snapdragon XR1 chip which caters explicitly to AR and VR headsets. The company says that the new XR platform has been specifically aimed at affordable and mainstream AR/VR devices like the Oculus Go, in order to deliver high-quality and immersive-rich experiences to a large number of consumers.

Snapdragon XR1 Technical Specifications

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=21&v=094EjKr8xa0

The Snapdragon XR1 will support Ultra High-Definition 4K video resolution for high-quality visuals at up to 60 frames per second. This means that all the VR Porn lovers will be able to enjoy watching premium quality videos.

The XR1 platform also provides a considerable boost to audio capabilities as well and includes built-in unique features like Qualcomm Technologies 3D Audio Suite, Qualcomm Aqstic Audio Technologies, and Qualcomm aptX Audio. This helps deliver high-fidelity audio experiences along with Bluetooth Playback and “always-on, always-listening” voice assistance.

Additionally, the XR1 platform features head-related transfer functions (HRTF) that help to deliver synthesized binaural sound for high-quality immersion.

Apart from this, the Snapdragon XR1 chip comes with special optimizations for augmented reality (AR) experiences. These include baked-in AI capabilities in order to deliver better interactivity, improved power consumption, and thermal efficiency. Moreover, the XR1 platform also supports 3DoF and 6DoF head tracking and controller capabilities to provide the best quality gameplay interaction.

The Snapdragon XR1 chip comes with a lot of other goodies like the ARM-based multicore CPU, advanced XR software service layer, vector processor, GPU, Qualcomm AI Engine, machine learning, the Snapdragon XR Software Development Kit (SDK) and Qualcomm Technologies connectivity and security technologies.

Alex Katouzian, senior vice president, and general manager, Mobile Business Unit, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. said in a recent statement: “As technology evolves and consumer demand grows, we envision XR devices playing a wider variety of roles in consumers’ and workers’ daily lives. By integrating powerful visuals, high-fidelity audio, and rich interactive experiences, XR1 will help create a new era of high-quality, mainstream XR devices for consumers.”

However, it has to be noted that the Snapdragon XR1 platform is only for mid-range VR headsets and the Snapdragon 845 VR Reference Design which the company unveiled earlier this year, remains its premium product.

Qualcomm also said that a few well-known companies in the VR space like Meta, Pico, HTC Vive and Vuzix are already onboard with the Snapdragon XR1 platform and hence we can expect affordable and consumer-centric AR/VR headsets coming ahead this year.