Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 VR Headset (Photo : Twitter)
Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 VR headset is one of the virtual reality systems at this year's IFA trade show that are still a work in progress. The tech company's VR gadget is the only one at the yearly Berlin event that includes stand-alone position tracking. Qualcomm's goal of showing off the reference platform is that other companies will use the VR technologies to develop products and bring them to the retail market.
Qualcomm's VR headset is a stand-alone headset. It features a Samsung Gear VR-like head strap and control panel mounted on the side.
The 820 VR also fits over eyeglasses and provides a tight fit but is not very uncomfortable. It has 1440-pixel resolution per eye compared to 1080p x 1200p resolution for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Qualcomm's VR headset also provides images that are better than Gear VR and Alcatel Vision because the pixels and distant objects are clear.
The 820 VR headset includes two front-facing cameras for position tracking. Being un-tethered makes the unit more mobile than Acer StarVR, according to PC Magazine. However, without a camera pass-through mode wearers are likely to bump into things in a room.
Eye tracking is a utilitarian feature of the VR device that would improve video games and user interfaces.
Qualcomm teamed up with Chinese electronics company Goertek to design the VR headset. It is built on the chip giant's Snapdragon 820 mobile processor and software dev kit.
All of the VR headsets being shown off at IFA are still in development stages. However, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 chip is in the newest high-end smartphones in the United States except for Apple's iPhones.
The chip maker announced that the VR headset will be finished by the end of this year. Meanwhile, the gadget's tech will be added to commercial products in early 2017. Qualcomm told The Verge that the price range might be similar to high-end tablets.
Qualcomm announced another Snapdragon 820 VR headset this spring. The Android-powered Pico Neo developed with Goertek cost about $500.
In related news, Sony will start selling a twin pack of PlayStation Move controllers starting on October 13, according to IGN. They can be used with the PlayStation VR headset.
The pack includes two motion controllers, USB cables, and straps. It is will likely be an updated version of the Move controller that includes the micro USB charging port on the DualShock 4 controller.
Here's the Pico Neo VR headset:
