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In May, it blew my mind when it demonstrated a surprisingly powerful VR-like experience inside Xreal and Google Project Halo glasseswhich is now called Xreal Aura and will arrive this fall.
They pack a Samsung Galaxy XR-like experience into a pair of glasses that plug into a phone-sized processor disk. But it turns out that the processor they’re packing is actually… better Who’s in Samsung Galaxy XR. Specifications of Qualcomm’s new chip point to a wave of virtual reality headsets that could aim to boost the AI capabilities on board.
The Snapdragon Reality Elite chip that Qualcomm recently announced was unveiled at the conference Enhanced World Expo The conference, held in Long Beach, California, is the rebranded successor to Qualcomm’s previous line of VR/AR chips that powered the Samsung Galaxy XR. Meta Quest And many other devices. According to Qualcomm, its GPU is up to 60% better than the Snapdragon XR2 Plus Gen 2 in the Galaxy XR, its CPU is up to 30% better, and its AI-focused NPU is up to 160% better for AI-related tasks. The chipset can drive up to 4.4K display resolution per eye for headphones and glasses.
The Snapdragon Reality Elite chip promises enhancements for a whole range of future glasses and headsets.
Enhancing artificial intelligence for virtual reality and augmented reality?
It was the XR2 Plus Gen 2 upgrade Announced in January 2024It’s been a while since Qualcomm had a new flagship chipset focused on VR/AR. The rebranded chip follows Qualcomm’s new focus on watches and wearables Snapdragon Elite Wearannounced earlier this year, also focuses on boosting AI performance on wrists (or on camera-equipped pendants and smart glasses).
Although Qualcomm’s chips debut before any products that include them, this time they’re arriving on the processing tweak for the upcoming Xreal Aura glasses that I’ve tried several times before.
Xreal Aura works Google Android XR The operating system relies heavily on Google’s Gemini for real-time AI analysis of apps and experiences in Gemini Live mode. During its demos, Google showed how Aura can also be used for AI-based encryption directly on the phone-shaped processor that plugs into the glasses.
Most of the smart glasses being released now rely heavily on phone-connected AI apps to power basic features. Meanwhile, VR headsets have been mostly devoid of artificial intelligence. This will likely change as virtual reality headsets become smaller and more like glasses, perhaps evolving into something like augmented reality glasses. Xreal Aura already feels like an evolutionary precursor to that, and a sign of where Meta plans to go next.
Better battery life
The new chip also promises 20% better battery life when running similar workloads as the previous Snapdragon chip, and runs cooler while doing so. That’s not a huge gain, but for VR headsets that now tend to average two hours at best on a charge, anything helps.
However, the cooler running part is important. As these headsets become smaller and more like glasses, closer to our faces, they’re not expected to pump heat through the vents the way current VR headsets do.
According to Qualcomm’s specifications for the chip, it can operate 12 cameras or sensors at the same time, similar to what the Galaxy XR chip can do. Twelve may seem like a lot, but with eye tracking, room tracking, hand tracking, face tracking, and cameras for photo and video capture, the processing demands can quickly add up. The chip also supports Bluetooth 6 and Wi-Fi 7.
Where will he appear next?
Xreal Aura, arriving this fall, is now available for pre-order on the Xreal website With a deposit of $99 Which Xreal says will also take an additional $100 off the launch price and safe delivery, though the company has yet to announce the final price of the devices. It will be the first device equipped with Snapdragon Reality Elite on deck.
But there’s more that intrigues me. Bytedance expected high-end Pico Swan Project The headphone can be packed with it. The long-awaited Meta Quest 4 game will also likely get it, which could debut sometime in the next year or two.
Whether you get the Xreal Aura or not, the new chip should make you think twice before buying a new VR headset until more details emerge about when this upgrade will arrive elsewhere. Based on the specs alone, it seems worth the wait.
Editors’ note: Snap covered Scott Stein’s travel costs to attend the AWE conference. CNET’s judgments and opinions are our own.
