Qualcomm announces next-generation chipsets for headsets, smart glasses

Promotional Image for Meta's Quest 3 VR/AR headset. (Image: Meta)

Semiconductor giant Qualcomm has announced its next-generation chipsets for headsets and smart glasses, which have been developed in collaboration with Meta.

The new Meta Quest 3 is powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chipset. Qualcomm says the chipset is capable of 2.5 times better GPU performance, and up to 8 times AI computation speeds compared to the last generation.

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It is meant for headsets with resolutions up to 3000 x 3000 per eye and can transition to full-colour passthrough for headsets that switch between virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).

It also supports devices with up to 10 cameras, Wi-Fi 7 and promises increased power efficiency over the last chipset.

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The other new chip, Snapdragon AR 1 Gen 1, powers the Ray-Ban Meta smartglasses. It offers on-device AI processing, noise and echo cancellation, dual ISPs for better camera image quality up to 12 megapixel photo cameras and 6 megapixel video cameras. It can also handle up to eight microphones with spatial sound.

Meta has first dibs on the chipsets, using them to power its devices but Qualcomm has said that the chips will be available to more developers widely in 2024.