Meta Inks Deal With Qualcomm to Build Custom VR Chips: Report

Meta is partnering with Qualcomm to build custom chips for its Quest virtual reality devices, the companies announced at a consumer electronics conference in Berlin on Friday. The engineering and product teams of both companies will work together to produce the chips and they will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is investing heavily in virtual and augmented reality as part of its efforts to build the “metaverse”. It is expected to unveil a pair of AR (augmented reality) glasses in 2024.

According to a report by Reuters, Meta and Qualcomm have struck an agreement to produce custom chipsets for Quest virtual reality devices, which would be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platforms.

They will be optimised specifically for the Quest’s system specifications, the report adds, quoting Meta spokesperson Tyler Yee as saying. The agreement reportedly covers only virtual reality devices — Meta is designing its own custom silicon chips to power the next generation of its augmented and virtual reality devices, he added.

“There could be situations where we use off-the-shelf silicon or work with industry partners on customizations, while also exploring our own novel silicon solutions. There could also be scenarios where we use both partner and custom solutions in the same product,” Yee told Reuters.

Meta’s virtual reality devices, including the latest Quest 2 headsets, use Qualcomm’s chips. The firm’s metaverse push also includes augmented reality glasses and goggles. Codenamed Project Nazare, the first generation of Meta’s AR glasses are expected to arrive in 2024.