Mobile VR headsets will remain the go-to solution for a lot of consumers. These units are a lot cheaper compared to more mainstream solutions, but they also lack the power to provide proper experiences. Qualcomm may have a solution in this regard, as their Snapdragon 845-powered VR headsets are a lot more powerful compared to the previous iterations.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 845
It is not the first time Qualcomm showcases its native VR headsets to the public. We have seen the Snapdragon 835 VR Developer Kit in the past, which is designed to get more consumers and developers excited about mobile VR. With the updated Snapdragon 845-powered VR headsets, it seems there is quite a performance boost to take note of. While this is not a consumer-grade headset the company will sell themselves, but it is a basis for other manufacturers to develop their own headsets.
Most of the current VR headsets available today and announced by manufacturers for this year and the next will use the SnapDragon 835 reference design. This list includes China’s HTC Vive Focus and the Lenovo solo Mirage. With companies still planning to develop additional headsets later this year, it seems logical to assume those will use the Snapdragon 845 design moving forward. That is, assuming Qualcomm will effectively release this design later this year.
At the same time, the company has made another major announcement. Fans of mobile VR headsets will be pleased to hear Qualcomm has introduced a new smartphone reference design headset. This will support most of the 2018 flagship phones which use the Snapdragon 845 chipset. No names are mentioned at this time, but it seems rather evident we will find out more details in the next few weeks and months.
Whether or not these developments will bring more positive attention to mobile VR as a whole, remains to be determined. Consumer interest in this technology appears to be on the rise, and Qualcomm has high hopes for this particular industry. With its untethered approach, it is certainly evident mobile VR headsets will trump their more expensive counterparts for people who have yet to experiment with virtual reality. This new Snapdragon processor offers 30% faster performance, lower energy consumption, and twice the display throughput. The VR headset design unit also offers six degrees of freedom.
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