Qualcomm brings 5G to headset gaming with its new Snapdragon XR2 Reference Design

Qualcomm has revealed its Snapdragon XR2 Reference Design, a new XR headset made in collaboration with the OEM Goertek. It is, therefore, the first such device with 5G, thanks to its mainboard that is host to an external X55 modem. Its maker asserts that the potential connectivity of which it is capable can deliver "boundless, end-to-end" XR for the headset's wearer

The XR2 hardware, announced in late 2019, confers its Reference Design with twice the CPU and GPU performance, as well as video bandwidth increased by 4 and resolutions bumped up by 6. In addition, its AI should be better by 11 times. These comparisons are made by the OEM in relation to the preceding XR platform, which was powered by the former flagship processor, the Snapdragon 835.

The XR2 Reference Design also incorporates the maximum camera count of 7 enabled by its up-to-date platform. This includes 2 internal eye-tracking sensors, as well as 2 RGB lenses for mixed reality (MR) applications and 2 others for external head-tracking. Therefore, other OEMs in the XR space may soon produce their own headsets with these specs.