Qualcomm Unveils Snapdragon Virtual Reality Reference Platform for
Immersive User Experiences on Standalone Head Mounted Displays
— Snapdragon VR820 Allows OEMs to Quickly Develop All-In-One VR HMDs—
BERLIN, GERMANY — September 1, 2016 — Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM)
today announced at IFA 2016 that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., has introduced
its first virtual reality (VR) reference platform, the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ VR820. Based on
the powerful Snapdragon 820 processor, the Snapdragon VR820 enables OEMs to quickly
develop standalone head mounted displays (HMDs) optimized for VR content and applications
while meeting the processing and performance demands of an all-in-one, dedicated VR headset.
“Consumers everywhere are captivated by truly immersive VR experiences, and Qualcomm
Technologies’ capabilities in graphics, displays, video, audio, computer vision and sensor
technologies, as well as power and thermal efficiencies proven over years of smartphone
innovation, uniquely positions us to help customers bring these experiences to life,” said
Anthony Murray, senior vice president and general manager, IoT, Qualcomm Technologies
International, Ltd. “The Snapdragon VR820 integrates key technologies and features for an
exceptional VR experience and provides a springboard for OEMs and developers to usher in the
next generation of truly portable and untethered devices that we think are necessary for mass
consumer adoption of VR.”
Developed with Goertek, a leading global ODM, the Snapdragon VR820 includes advanced
features such as integrated eye tracking with two cameras, dual front facing cameras for six
degrees of freedom (6DOF) and see-through applications, four microphones, gyro,
accelerometer, and magnetometer sensors, all contained in an elegant, sleek and comfortable
design. The reference platform combines Goertek’s innovative system design including
mechanical, electrical, optical, acoustic, and firmware development with the groundbreaking
computing, graphics, sensor fusion, audio, connectivity, power management, VR software and
system capabilities of the Snapdragon 820.
The platform is built upon the groundbreaking Snapdragon VR Software Development Kit
(SDK) providing OEMs and developers with access to optimized, advanced VR features, to help
simplify development and improve VR performance and power efficiency with the Snapdragon
820 for standalone VR HMDs.
Snapdragon 820: Designed with VR in Mind
The Snapdragon VR820 is built upon the powerful Snapdragon 820 mobile processor, which is
designed to support and advance the requirements for immersive VR. The Snapdragon 820
processor is an ideal solution that allows the platform to provide compelling visual and auditory
experiences, as well as intuitive interactions.
Visual Quality:
o Qualcomm® Adreno™ 530 GPU for next-generation console-quality VR gaming
and apps, while delivering up to 40 percent improvement to graphics performance
and compute capabilities compared to its predecessor
o Smooth, stereoscopic 3D, with foveated rendering, and support for the latest
graphics APIs
o 1440x1440 resolution per eye, AMOLED panel that supports up to 70Hz
o 360° 4K video playback processing with HEVC compression and display refresh
rates at 70 FPS
o Qualcomm® TruPalette™ display gamut mapping, color enhancement
comprehensive control over colors
o Qualcomm® EcoPix™ pixel compression, with variable refresh for extended
battery life
Sound Quality:
o Stereo, binaural positional audio, and 3D surround sound, powered by Qualcomm
Aqstic™ audio technologies
o Four microphones with Fluence™ HD noise filtering and active noise
cancellation
Intuitive Interactions:
o Dual Qualcomm Spectra™ camera ISPs combined with Qualcomm® Hexagon™
DSP for advanced vision features such as look-through imaging and 3D
reconstruction, eye-tracking and hand gestures
o Predictive, monocular visual motion tracking with full 6DOF at 800Hz for smooth
tracking of head motion in movement as well as rotation
o Ultra-fast sensing, processing with average motion to photon latency under 18ms
Powerful computing:
o Custom-designed 64-bit Qualcomm® Kryo™ quad-core CPU for highperformance
computing
o Integrated Hexagon 680 DSP for efficiently processing advanced vision, audio,
and Qualcomm All-Ways Aware™ ultra-low power “always-on” sensor
technology without impacting CPU processing load
The Snapdragon VR820 is anticipated to be available in Q4 2016 with the first commercial
devices based on the platform expected to be available shortly thereafter.
