Qualcomm introduced its XR1-based good AR viewer final yr earlier than the “metaverse” turned a buzzword.
Now, it’s launching its new XR2-powered reference AR glasses so {hardware} producers can “allow immersive experiences that unlock the metaverse.”
But when we glance past the advertising converse, the corporate’s new headset has gone wi-fi with a sleeker design.
What does the brand new headset supply?
The agency says it has a 40% thinner profile than the XR1 reference design, and has equal weight distribution for carrying it comfortably for an extended time. What’s extra, these glasses — designed by Goertek — weigh simply 115 grams.
The brand new specs sport two 1920 x1080 shows — one on every eye — with a 90Hz refresh price. This may very well be useful in displaying data in entrance of your eyes or augmenting a digital monitor for work with none movement blur.
To trace your head and palms, it has two monochrome cameras — that provides six levels of monitoring — and one RGB digital camera.
A few of these specs and options match the earlier era headset. However one of many principal differentiators right here is that there’s no have to tether it to a telephone, PC, or a processing puck.
The brand new good AR viewer makes use of the Qualcomm FastConnect 6900 chip to allow wi-fi connection between the headset and a telephone or a PC.
It’s suitable with Wi-Fi 6 and 6E, so it may well reap the benefits of 6GHz frequency and 160MHz channels for prime throughput and low-latency connection. All of this permits a bigger quantity of knowledge to be transmitted between gadgets. So you possibly can allow experiences like seamless streaming of video on AR glasses.
The corporate’s additionally releasing an XR FastConnect Software program Suite for builders to construct apps. With this, it’s attempting to scale back latency between cameras capturing the picture and the headset displaying the processed picture primarily based in your actions.
Qualcomm says with this platform, it has additionally enabled low-power operation modes, so builders can design their functions in a method that low resource-intensive duties don’t hog up battery energy.
Qualcomm needs to energy the AR future
Until now many corporations, together with Lenovo and Qualcomm have proven off cable-connected AR headsets. Then again, corporations like Oppo, NReal, and Snap have demoed wirelessly related headsets.
Qualcomm believes that within the subsequent few years, such headsets shall be widespread out there. And its prediction shouldn’t be far off. We all know that Google’s engaged on AR glasses centered on translation, Meta will reportedly launch its first AR headset in 2024, and Apple simply confirmed its XR gadget to its board members.
So we are able to anticipate plenty of motion on this space. Qualcomm permits many telephone makers to energy their gadgets, and it might anticipate many {hardware} or “metaverse” corporations to decide on its AR platform for his or her merchandise.
Qualcomm’s wi-fi AR good viewer reference design is obtainable to some companions at launch, and a wider availability is coming within the subsequent few months.
