Meta and Qualcomm have announced a partnership to develop tailor-made chips for their Quest virtual reality devices during a consumer electronics conference in Berlin. The engineering and product teams from both companies will collaborate on creating these chips, which will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is making substantial investments in virtual and augmented reality as part of its ambitious plans to construct the “metaverse.” Furthermore, Meta is set to unveil a pair of augmented reality (AR) glasses in 2024.
As reported by Reuters, Meta and Qualcomm have reached an agreement to manufacture customized chipsets designed specifically for Quest virtual reality devices, leveraging Qualcomm’s Snapdragon technology. These chips will be finely tuned to meet the exact system specifications of the Quest devices, according to a statement from Meta spokesperson Tyler Yee.
However, it’s worth noting that this agreement exclusively pertains to virtual reality devices. Meta is concurrently working on designing its own custom silicon chips to power the next generation of both augmented and virtual reality devices. Yee explained, “There could be situations where we use off-the-shelf silicon or collaborate with industry partners on customizations, all while exploring our own innovative silicon solutions. There might also be instances where we integrate both partner and custom solutions within the same product.”
Currently, Meta’s virtual reality devices, including the latest Quest 2 headsets, rely on Qualcomm’s chips. In addition to virtual reality, Meta’s metaverse endeavors encompass augmented reality glasses and goggles. Codenamed “Project Nazare,” the initial generation of Meta’s AR glasses is anticipated to make its debut in 2024.