Qualcomm has introduced the first in its line of Extended Reality (XR) line of chips. The Snapdragon XR1 is intended to be used exclusively for augmented- and virtual reality devices; although it’s not necessarily the most powerful chip that Qualcomm could possibly make.
Most AR and VR devices these days use SoCs designed for smartphones, seeing that they often run on similar software. And thus far, it has worked out for manufacturers. However, a specialised platform may change how these devices are designed and marketed.
The Snapdragon XR1 is capable of displaying 4K video at 60fps, and supports both three- and six-degrees of freedom head tracking. Naturally, there is also support for additional handheld controllers.
However, The Verge is reporting that the Snapdragon XR1 is still not as powerful as the Snapdragon 845. Which indicates that it may not be destined for the most premium AR/VR headsets on the market.
As an indication of this presumption is Qualcomm’s list of partners. Meta, VIVE, Vuzix and Picoare are all working on new dedicated Snapdragon XR1 devices; although these do not have an expected release date.
