NIANTIC

Pokémon Go developer reveals AR glasses

Niantic, the developer of the hit game Pokémon Go, unveiled the flagship augmented reality headset powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 processor at Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit 2022.

In a short promotional trailer showing gameplay with the new headset, you can see how players interact with virtual game elements, virtual signs and navigation markers. Some players are using handheld motion controllers, but there are no signs of smartphones being used in the game. Most likely, the smartphone is connected wirelessly, as the AR2 Gen 1 platform implies exactly this approach. The processor supports the new Wi-Fi 7 standard (also known as 802.11be) and promises that the delay between the glasses and the main device will reach less than 2 ms.

Recall that the Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1 is Qualcomm's first chip designed specifically for augmented reality glasses. The new processor focuses on miniaturization and energy efficiency. Qualcomm claims the size of the new chip is 40% smaller than the XR2 Gen 1 used in earlier reference AR glasses, although it was intended for VR devices. Other improvements include 2.5x better performance on AI algorithms with 50% reduction in power consumption compared to XR2 Gen 1. The new AR2 Gen 1 consumes less than 1W during operation and has the ability to load balance between several different processors inside the glasses themselves, as well as a wirelessly connected PC or smartphone.

At Qualcomm's launch event, Mariam Sabur of Niantic showed off the new Outdoor AR Headset reference design, designed specifically for the latest Snapdragon AR2 Gen 1. In the promotional trailer, Niantic's new headset can be seen being worn alongside older models. Other manufacturers planning to use the chip include Lenovo, LG, Nreal, Oppo, TCL and Xiaomi, Qualcomm said.

The conference announced next year's integration of Niantic's Lightship Visual Positioning System (VPS), which powers augmented reality games like Pokémon Go, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon Spaces VR and AR developer platform. The Lightship VPS platform allows a player to place virtual items in Niantic games and store them for another player. While currently only available on smartphones, integration with Snapdragon Spaces will allow Lightship VPS to run on AR headsets.

mundophone