Qualcomm has introduced its latest chips for XR and AR platforms: The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 for VR and mixed reality devices and the AR1 Gen 1, tailored for smart glasses.

The Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 offers a 2.5x improvement in GPU performance and an 8x boost in AI performance while being more energy-efficient. It is optimized to power two 3k displays and can process inputs from up to 10 cameras and sensors, with a 12 ms latency for passthrough video for mixed reality applications. On the other hand, the AR1 Gen 1 is designed for standalone smart glasses with camera capabilities and one or two displays. It supports a resolution of 1,280 x 1,280 per eye and offers three degrees of freedom. The chip also features "on-glass" AI for voice commands, noise cancellation, and other functionalities.

Analyst QuickTake: The significant performance improvements compared to its previous generation will be leveraged by Meta’s upcoming Quest 3 headset, which is powered by second-gen SnapDragon XR2 chipset. Other next-gen flagship headsets from manufacturers such as HTC, Pico Interactive, and Pimax are likely to use the new chipsets as well, given that previous iterations of its headsets have relied on Qualcomm’s chips.