Report: Oculus Prepping Qualcomm SoC-Based Standalone VR HMD

[kcarbotte]

Oculus and its parent company Facebook plan to launch a standalone VR HMD in 2018, according to a report from Bloomberg. In response to our request for a statement on the issue, Oculus stated only that it’s investing heavily in standalone VR.

Report: Oculus Prepping Qualcomm SoC-Based Standalone VR HMD : Read more

 

[hannibal]

200$ means that it is not snapdragon 835, but something much more slover... maybe some new Xiaomi low end prosessor?

 

[dark_lord69]

[quotemsg=19936673,0,60597]200$ means that it is not snapdragon 835, but something much more slover... maybe some new Xiaomi low end prosessor?[/quotemsg]

I have to disagree. Right now the chip that makes most sense to use in mobile VR is the new snapdragon and you don't know what kind of deal they could have made with Qualcomm to buy those chips in bulk. Plus, there's no phone service too, so less royalty payments to qualcomm for wireless tech that would increase the price closer to a phone price range.

 

[mlee 2500]

It's an optimistic price to be sure but it doesn't necessarily exclude the 835.

Qualcomm sometimes sells chips based on the functionality, not the entire package.

I'm speculating here, but they could sell and license the APU and GPU but not, for instance, the modem or other parts of the SOC useful only on a mobile phone platform.

They're certainly not selling their modem as part of the SOC they sell for ARM server platforms, for example.

 

[bit_user]

Oculus may simply be building its own Daydream-based standalone HMD

No, I don't see Facebook wanting to help Google establish its Daydream platform, in any way.

 

[bit_user]

[quotemsg=19938025,0,1791309]They're certainly not selling their modem as part of the SOC they sell for ARM server platforms, for example.[/quotemsg]
The difference is that the 835 is a phone-oriented SoC and probably integrates the modem, while the server products certainly exclude any such block.

I could imagine a sweetheart deal, used to help establish untethered VR, but I think Qualcomm can't sell the 835 below-cost without risking allegations of dumping.

Anyway, I think untethered VR solutions should ideally have a cell modem + antenna. People might want to use these outside of wifi range. Perhaps it will be an optional extra.

 

[bit_user]

[quotemsg=19936673,0,60597]200$ means that it is not snapdragon 835, but something much more slover... maybe some new Xiaomi low end prosessor?[/quotemsg]
The problem with that option would be that any standalone VR HMD should have a pretty high-end GPU, which probably accounts for a lot of the die area + licensing costs of the SoC's in which they're found.

 

[mlee 2500]

[quotemsg=19960228,0,328798][quotemsg=19938025,0,1791309]They're certainly not selling their modem as part of the SOC they sell for ARM server platforms, for example.[/quotemsg]
The difference is that the 835 is a phone-oriented SoC and probably integrates the modem, while the server products certainly exclude any such block.

I could imagine a sweetheart deal, used to help establish untethered VR, but I think Qualcomm can't sell the 835 below-cost without risking allegations of dumping.

Anyway, I think untethered VR solutions should ideally have a cell modem + antenna. People might want to use these outside of wifi range. Perhaps it will be an optional extra.[/quotemsg]

Good point....a year ago I would have said that there's no way they could send enough data OTA, but the numbers we're seeing for next gen LTE networks makes me think maybe..... And besides, VR going main stream will have allot to do with how well they resolve and get past the physical obstacles (heavy headsets, cables and wires, etc).