Five companies are developing solutions that utilize the XR2+ Gen 2 from Qualcomm, and some of the resulting products will be first shown during CES 2024, which starts soon.

The Apple Vision Pro may be on its way, but it’s not alone, and Qualcomm  started 2024 revealing the new Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 Platform, a single chip architecture that unlocks 4.3K spatial computing at 90 frames per second for, the company says, “breathtaking visual clarity across work and play.”

Qualcomm says that “building upon the capabilities of the recently announced Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2, the new ‘+’ version helps to unleash a new tier of more realistic, detailed experiences in MR and VR with higher GPU frequency by 15% and CPU frequency by 20%. Supporting 12 or more concurrent cameras with powerful on-device AI, Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2-powered devices can effortlessly track the user, their movements, and the world around them for effortless navigation and unparalleled experiences that merge physical and digital spaces.”

“Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 unlocks 4.3K resolution which will take XR productivity and entertainment to the next level by bringing spectacularly clear visuals to use cases such as room-scale screens, life-size overlays and virtual desktops,” said Hugo Swart, vice president and general manager of XR, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are advancing our commitment to power the best XR devices and experiences that will supercharge our immersive future.”

As noted above, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 supporting 4.3K per eye resolution,  an improved version of the XR2 Gen 2 chip that powers the recently launched Quest 3, is being used to build new products, and Samsung is one of the companies involved. We may have news about Samsung’s new VR headset soon, but during the announcement of this next generation version Inkang Song, vice president and head of technology strategy team at Samsung Electronics, expressed his excitement saying  “Samsung is thrilled to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies and Google in revolutionizing the mobile industry once more. With Samsung’s mobile expertise and our joint commitment, we aim to create the best-in-class XR experience for Galaxy users.”

In fact, Google is also involved in the development of the upcoming product. Shahram Izadi, vice president of AR at Google said “we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung on the future of immersive and spatial XR. We’re excited for the Android ecosystem to take advantage of Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2’s capabilities and enable new experiences.”

New VR headsets coming soon

Said Bakadir, Qualcomm’s senior director of product management, revealed that five original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are working on new devices based on Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2. Some of the names are known, like Samsung, HTC Vive, Immersed and Play for Dream (formerly YVR), but a fifth yet unnamed company will unveil its product on January 8. Can it be Valve’s Deckard VR headset? Or the Pico 5? Or the Somnium VR1?

The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 represents a huge step forward in terms of what’s possible in VR/XR. This purpose-built platform packs premium MR and VR technology into a single chip architecture for thinner and more comfortable headsets. The upgraded ISP and full color, ultra-fast 12ms video see-through latency lets you transition between the real and the virtual world with enhanced visual fidelity and unparalleled digital comfort.

The next-gen chip is designed to power awe inspiring visuals that deliver immersive entertainment, life-size overlays and room-scale infinite desktops experiences. With support for up to 4.3k by 4.3k display resolution per eye at 90 frames per second, scenes unfold right in front of your eyes with more depth, shades, textures, and colors. With support for the latest Qualcomm FastConnect Mobile Connectivity System, users will be able to enjoy lag-free and shared XR experiences with ultra-fast Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 and 5.2 wireless connectivity for 60% higher throughput and 50% lower latency.

Separately, to help accelerate time to market for OEMs, Qualcomm Technologies also unveiled a new MR & VR reference design developed by Goertek and features eye tracking technology from Tobii. This reference design supports both 3K per eye (Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2) and 4K per eye (Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2) configurations.