Qualcomm Launches Snapdragon Reality Elite for Next-Gen XR Devices

Qualcomm has unveiled its Snapdragon Reality Elite platform, a powerful chip for next-gen XR devices. The new platform brings big improvements in on-device AI performance, graphics, and power efficiency. It will power several advanced XR products like the upcoming XREAL Project Aura.

Snapdragon Reality Elite brings faster AI, solid graphics, and longer battery life

Snapdragon Reality Elite supports a wide range of XR devices, including video see-through (VST) headsets and optical see-through (OST) smart glasses. The chip delivers up to 48 TOPS (trillion operations per second) of AI computing power. As a result, devices can run cutting-edge AI features locally without depending on cloud services. It supports LLM‑based agents and real‑time large vision models (LVMs) for more interactive XR experiences.

Qualcomm claims that Snapdragon Reality Elite brings a significant performance boost over the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2, which powers Galaxy XR. The platform offers up to 60% higher GPU performance, up to 30% faster CPU performance, and up to 160% higher NPU performance. So, you can expect richer graphics, seamless interactions, and immersive mixed reality scenarios.

Furthermore, Snapdragon Reality Elite supports displays with resolutions up to 4.4K per eye at 90 frames per second. The platform can deliver up to 20 percent longer battery life at the same workloads as XR2+ Gen 2. It can also run up to 12 degrees Celsius cooler under load.

The Snapdragon Reality Elite platform will first power XREAL’s Project Aura XR glasses, launching later this year. Qualcomm also confirmed that Play For Dream’s upcoming XR headset will use the new chipset. As of now, it is unclear whether Samsung’s future XR devices will use Reality Elite.

Meanwhile, Qualcomm also unveiled Snapdragon START (Scalable Turnkey AI-Ready Toolkit). The system aims to help brands develop AI-powered smart glasses and other wearables. It packs Qualcomm’s AR1+ chip-powered hardware module, with integrated software and companion apps for Android and iOS.