Qualcomm officially unveils Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 1, the new chipset developed for VR accessories

Already found at the heart of the $1,500 Meta Quest Touch Pro accessory, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 1 promises to accommodate the demands of VR applications with optimal performance and efficiency.

Derived from the Snapdragon 662 chipset, the solution whose name is more of a hint to the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 doesn’t have nearly the performance of the latter. The good news is that, for the time being, there’s no need for such speed either, with VR devices such as the Quest Touch Pro needing more specialised features, which the new Qualcomm solution covers very well.

For example, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 1 supports 360° video playback using 8K/60fps resolution. The list goes on with ‘concurrent perception’ technologies, allowing simultaneous tracking of head, hand and controller movements used to interact with the VR world. The chipset can accelerate 3D reconstruction of filmed objects and automatic room mapping for overlay with virtual elements.

Compared to the previous generation, the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 1 chipset reduces the heat that must be dissipated by accessories meant to be worn on the head by 30%, while delivering 50% higher performance.

Qualcomm says several OEMs have already committed to releasing XR2+-based VR devices by the end of the year.