Qualcomm and Microsoft team up on chips for lightweight AR glasses

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Qualcomm says it is working with Microsoft on custom chips that should enable a ‘new wave’ of lightweight AR glasses. According to Qualcomm, the companies do this because they believe in the future of ‘the metaverse’.

Qualcomm does not provide concrete details about the chips or the AR glasses they will end up in. Microsoft already uses a Snapdragon soc in its HoloLens 2. That is still a Snapdragon 850, which was introduced in mid-2018. At the time, that was a soc intended for Windows devices such as laptops.

The new chips that Qualcomm and Microsoft are working on are being developed specifically for lightweight AR glasses. It is not known whether Microsoft itself wants to release such glasses. It is also not yet clear when the new chips for AR glasses will be available.

Qualcomm already has the Snapdragon XR platform with chips specifically intended for VR goggles. The Oculus Quest 2, among others, uses a Snapdragon XR2 soc. It is not clear what will be different about the chips for AR glasses.

Qualcomm and Microsoft are also collaborating on software. Qualcomm will integrate Microsoft Mesh into the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform. Both its platforms are focused on creating AR apps.

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