During the Augmented World Expo (AWE) 2026, Qualcomm unveiled its newest platform, Snapdragon Reality Elite, for virtual and mixed reality devices.
Snapdragon Reality Elite is designed for virtual and mixed reality devices that can come in the form of all-in-one MR devices like the Meta Quest, tethered devices like the Galaxy XR, smartglasses like the Meta Display and tethered glasses designs like Xreal Aura. However, the company will continue to use its AR1+ chipset for AI solutions like the Meta RayBan or the smartglasses that Google and Samsung are working on with Samsung, Warby Parker and Gentle Monster.
Reality Elite offers 60 per cent improved GPU performance, 160 per cent improved NPU and 30 per cent improved CPU performance compared to the Snapdragon XR2 platform, which Qualcomm previously used in devices like the Snap Spectacle. Qualcomm says that its platform offers 10 more tokens per second than what’s available in the Vision Pro.
An AI powerhouse, Reality Elite offers 45 TOPS powered by the NPU, which can support features like interactive agents, 3D content creation, and photorealistic avatars. Qualcomm also says that the Snapdragon Reality Elite offers up to 20 per cent battery life and can keep 12 degrees cooler under load.
Qualcomm is also working with Kiwear on a Smart Ring that would work as a companion device for some of these AR/XR solutions. Similar to how the Meta Display is controlled by a band, the companion Smart Ring would control these wearables. Kiwear’s ring offers Bluetooth LE and micro-power Wi-Fi, AI interactions with a microphone for voice UI, transcriptions, and speech-to-text, gestures like a pinch gesture, micro gesture swipes and finger tracking. And it does things like a regular smart ring, like measuring your heart rate, sleep quality and contextual AI.
The first device with this new technology is the upcoming Xreal Aura, which is launching later this year.
