Next-generation Meta Quest devices will feature Qualcomm chipsets, the firms revealed.
Qualcomm, which makes most of the top Android CPUs, will develop bespoke Snapdragon XR hardware for Meta Quest devices under the “multi-year arrangement.”
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg remarked, “We’re working with Qualcomm Technologies on bespoke virtual reality chipsets driven by Snapdragon XR platforms and technology.”
This isn’t very shocking. The firms have a seven-year history, including the Oculus Quest 2 headset (now called Meta Quest), which employs the Snapdragon XR2 chipset. Breaking up a winning alliance is bad business.
Yet Meta obviously considered doing this. The Information claimed earlier this year that the corporation developed its own semiconductors but switched to Qualcomm owing to slow progress. This, along with claims that Meta has moved away from building its own VR OS, suggests the company may be slashing costs amid its first quarterly revenue decline in over a decade.
Meta goals
Meta expects to cut R&D expenditures by partnering with Qualcomm and yet get a tailored product for its metaverse goals.
“As we build more powerful virtual and augmented reality capabilities and experiences, it’s become increasingly critical to design specialised technology,” Zuckerberg said. Virtual reality presents multidimensional issues in spatial computing, cost, and form factor.
Meta now dominates the all-in-one VR headset market, but Apple may unveil its first VR/AR headset in 2023.
The Reality Processor trademark means the corporation will continue to manufacture its own chips to give smooth footage to both eyes simultaneously. That will be more expensive than Meta’s Quest, even with its latest price boost.
However, meta plans to release Project Cambria (which could be the Meta Quest Pro) next month. One tipper says October 25.
This Qualcomm-powered gadget should be fascinating. The current Quest 2 employs a CPU similar to the Snapdragon 865 in the Samsung Galaxy S20, so ideally the new headset will improve graphical fidelity along with new experiences.