Microsoft Teams Up with Qualcomm for AR Glasses Collaboration

Urian B., Tech Times 05 January 2022, 08:01 pm

Microsoft is teaming up with Qualcomm to collaborate on AR glasses. In connection to that, Qualcomm announced the company's intentions to integrate software platforms along with Microsoft.

Microsoft and Qualcomm CES 2022 Announcement

According to the story by TechRadar, Cristiano Amon, the CEO of Qualcomm, announced during the CES 2022 keynote that the company has partnered with Microsoft in order to produce a particular custom chip for the next-gen AR glasses.

Amon noted that they have been talking for years regarding the possibility of having wearable augmented reality devices capable of gaining scale. The CEO also noted that they will be integrating into that particular chip platform software from both companies along with the platform, Microsoft Mesh.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Spaces XR Development Platform

The integration also includes Qualcomm's recently announced Snapdragon Spaces XR development platform. Specifically, Snapdragon Spaces will actually be fully integrated directly into Microsoft Mesh.

The platform will be made available for the next-gen lightweight glasses. In addition, the collaboration as well as the future chip is expected to help power a brand new integration of lightweight, energy-efficient glasses. These glasses will be in conjunction with Microsoft Mesh, which is said to be the company's take on the upcoming metaverse platform.

Custom Chip to Access Microsoft's Application

Through using the newly announced custom chip, its users will be able to access Microsoft's applications. This will the provide them the ability to connect through holographic, virtual space through a multitude of devices such VR headsets, mobile phones, PCs, and even tablets.

In addition to this, the combination of both the chip as well as the Microsoft Mesh should allow its users to collaborate over work platforms like Microsoft Teams. This allows the use of virtual likeness of themselves.

Snapdragon Spaces XR Development Platform Comes with Position Tracking and More

The Snapdragon Spaces XR development platform will reportedly afford users the ability to be able to use spatial mapping for the digital objects to be overlaid upon the whole space.

With that, the Spaces XR platform is also coming with features like position tracking, hand tracking and object recognition. This allows users to have the ability to manipulate spaces through the use of hand gestures.

Qualcomm has reportedly already tackled both the VR and AR realms using the company's chips in the past. In addition, the Snapdragon 850 currently powers Microsoft's very own Hololens 2 headset while the Snapdragon XR2 chip powers the Oculus Quest 2 headset.

Additional Connected Experience through Digital Means

Microsoft's corporate vice president for mixed reality at Microsoft, Rubén Caballero, noted that their goal is to help inspire and also empower others to collectively work. This is in order to develop the metaverse future which that is described to be grounded in both trust and innovation, as also reported by WindowsCentral.

Neither company has provided timeline regarding when the upcoming chips or headsets will be available to the public. With the newly announced collaborative effort, however, Microsoft and Qualcomm have reiterated that they are committed to provide their users with additional connected experience through digital means.

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Written by Urian B.