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Qualcomm launches virtual reality dev kit for Snapdragon mobile chips

  • Posted byby Dean Takahashi
  • Updated
  • 2 min

Qualcomm is introducing its virtual reality software development kit (SDK) for Snapdragon-based smartphones and virtual reality headsets.

The mobile-chip giant wants to stoke demand for the already red-hot VR business by making it easy for developers to create games and apps that run on Snapdragon-based hardware. The company’s Snapdragon 820 chip can be used in VR hardware that runs a variety of apps. VR and augmented reality are expected to be a $120 billion business by 2020, according to tech advisor Digi-Capital. All this means that future VR devices will be much more graphically impressive than current hardware, and the software for it will be easier for developers to create.

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Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.