Samsung confirmed earlier this year that it's working on a new mixed reality XR headset in collaboration with Google and Qualcomm. This meant that the chipset used in this device would likely be supplied by Qualcomm. The San Diego-based company has announced just that today.
The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset was announced today, and Qualcomm has confirmed that it's going to be used in a new XR device from Samsung and Google. Other manufacturers will also be using this chip for their XR devices.
Chipset for Samsung's new XR headset unveiled
Based on what Qualcomm has announced today, this is shaping up to be quite the capable chipset. The Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 provides 4.3K per eye resolution with up to 90 frames per second. Qualcomm claims it will deliver exceptionally clear visuals in different scenarios, such as large screens, virtual desktops, and life-size overlays.
It's a beefy chipset, which also brings a 15% bump in GPU and a 20% bump in CPU frequency. There's also support for 12+ concurrent cameras that help with hand and body tracking. Other features include 12ms full-color video see-through and support for Wi-Fi 7. The company mentioned in its release today that it's working on a new product that will be based on the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 with Samsung and Google.
“Samsung is thrilled to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies and Google in revolutionizing the mobile industry once more.” said Inkang Song, vice president and head of technology strategy team at Samsung Electronics, adding that “With Samsung’s mobile expertise and our joint commitment, we aim to create the best-in-class XR experience for Galaxy users.”
From what we know about Samsung's new XR headset so far, it's being designed to compete with the likes of the Apple Vision Pro. Samsung is expected to unveil the headset alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in the second half of this year. The initial production run is said to be limited to just 30,000 units, meaning that, like the Vision Pro, it's initially going to be an enthusiast device and will likely have a similarly high price tag.
