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Oculus Quest 2: How Snapdragon XR2 powers the next generation of VR

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September’s Facebook Connect event was filled with inspiring talks and keynotes spanning new and creative developer solutions for VR and AR. Attendees learned about VR for storytelling, producing live performances in social VR, and much more. The most exciting part of the event was Facebook’s unveiling of Oculus Quest 2 — the much anticipated follow-up to the original Oculus Quest blockbuster all-in-one VR headset.

Quest 2 promises an immersive adventure like never before, with a host of powerfully revamped technical features. What’s more, the Oculus Quest 2 is the first device to officially launch with the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform. This new chipset is designed from the ground up to drive the most advanced features, including Quest 2’s freedom of movement and the highest resolution display yet in any Oculus headset so that you will be even more completely immersed in the VR applications and games you play.

At Qualcomm Technologies, we pride ourselves on making big bets that enable our customers to innovate and grow. Quest 2 is the culmination of a five-year collaboration iterating on cutting edge technology to bring users the best in XR today. With Oculus Quest 2, you’ll be able to feel the thrill of urban climbing in The Climb 2, the adrenaline of a flying battle royale in Population: One, or choose from a library of many more unique titles and experiences launching throughout this holiday season.

Powered by the Snapdragon XR2 Platform

The Snapdragon XR2 Platform unlocks major improvements in Quest 2 compared to its predecessor, including a greatly enhanced CPU and GPU performance for significantly revamped features across the board. Visual feedback is extremely important to any VR experience, and Quest 2 has the most powerful visual display of any Oculus headset to date. The upgraded display sports 50 percent more pixels (1832 x 1920 pixels per eye) than the original Oculus Quest headset.

In addition to boosting the visual feedback on Quest 2, Snapdragon XR2 also enhances the interactive feedback by greatly expanding the overall AI processing power. Quest 2 delivers more than 11x the AI processing than its predecessor for more immersive, customized experiences.

The Snapdragon XR2 contributes to much more than simply visual and AI features. Overall functionality has also been improved across the board thanks to a dedicated EVA (Engine for Visual Analytics), which offloads key VR tasks to reduce latency and support stronger connectivity. Additionally, Wi-Fi enhancements boost download and upload speeds via the Qualcomm FastConnect 6800 Mobile Connectivity Subsystem, and the dedicated architecture is designed to improve battery life.

Game on

Quest 2 is now available for purchase, and the timing couldn’t be better with the holidays just around the corner and people across the globe looking for adventures accessible right from their living rooms. Whether users are hosting a virtual DJ party or racing through futuristic cities, Quest 2 makes new experiences possible even while many spend more time indoors. We’ve always been proud to say our inventions enable our customers to compete, innovate, and grow globally. Quest 2 is the next big leap in VR, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it.

Battery life varies significantly based on settings, usage, and other factors. Qualcomm Snapdragon and Qualcomm FastConnect are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.

Opinions expressed in the content posted here are the personal opinions of the original authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of Qualcomm Incorporated or its subsidiaries ("Qualcomm"). The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to be an endorsement or representation by Qualcomm or any other party. This site may also provide links or references to non-Qualcomm sites and resources. Qualcomm makes no representations, warranties, or other commitments whatsoever about any non-Qualcomm sites or third-party resources that may be referenced, accessible from, or linked to this site.

About the Author
Hugo Swart
Hugo SwartVP & GM, XR, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
Qualcomm relentlessly innovates to deliver intelligent computing everywhere, helping the world tackle some of its most important challenges. Our leading-edge AI, high performance, low-power computing, and unrivaled connectivity deliver proven solutions that transform major industries. At Qualcomm, we are engineering human progress.

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