Samsung and Google are researching alternatives to Apple’s Vision Pro headset. Qualcomm will be partnering with them to develop the needed chip.
Apple tries to control the entire supply chain to make its headsets. Other companies conduct partnerships to supply different components, making the process faster and cheaper but not as smooth. CNBC reports:
Qualcomm on Thursday announced a new chip that will be used by Samsung and Google for mixed reality devices that are likely to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro headset.
Qualcomm, Samsung and Google announced a partnership last year to work on mixed-reality devices. Mixed reality allows you to overlay digital content over the real world using a headset. The latest chip, which can run Android applications, suggests the companies will choose to release a more affordable headset than Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro, which is due to launch early this year. Apple’s headset runs on its M2 processor that powers some Macs.
The quality of the visuals for modern graphics is truly next generational. Because it will be worn on top of the eyes, headsets will need to be extremely realistic to be popular. 9 to 5 Google adds:
The big upgrade over the XR2 Gen 2, which was announced in September of 2023, is support for up to 4.3K per eye resolution at 90 frames per second. Qualcomm says this allows for “spectacularly clear visuals” in use cases like room-scale screens, life-size overlays, and virtual desktops.
Qualcomm says “5+ OEMs” are working on devices powered by the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2. This includes the upcoming Samsung and Google headset, while other named partners today include HTC Vive, Immersed, and Play for Dream (formerly YVR). The chipmaker also has a reference device (pictured below) with Goertek.
The Android systems can generate much innovation, as many different companies can partner and use common software. Whether these will be competitive with Apple’s Vision Pro remains to be seen.
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