Qualcomm announces virtual reality SDK for developers to make apps

Qualcomm has introduced the Snapdragon VR software development kit on Monday, giving developers tools to create compatible apps with the Snapdragon 820, a mobile processor that supports VR experiences.

The SDK, which will be available to developers in Q2, will help create VR apps for the mobile processor found in the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S7, and the Mi 5.

It features the following tech:

• DSP sensor fusion: Utilizing the full breadth of technologies built into Snapdragon 820, the SDK enables developers to create more responsive and immersive experiences by easily accessing the right combination of high frequency inertial data from gyroscopes and accelerometers via the Snapdragon Sensor Core and predictive head position processing with the Qualcomm® Hexagon™ DSP
• Fast motion to photon: Supports asynchronous time warp with single buffer rendering for fast transformation of rendered images in 3D space, which helps reduce latency by up to 50% compared with not using the SDK
• Stereoscopic rendering with lens correction: Supports 3D binocular vision with color correction and barrel distortion for improved visual quality of graphics and video, enhancing the overall VR experience
• VR layering: Generation of menus, text, and other overlays so that they render correctly in a virtual world, reducing distortions that would otherwise make them difficult to read
• Power management: Integration with the Qualcomm® Symphony System Manager SDK to provide cohesive CPU, GPU, and DSP power and performance management to help achieve stable frame rates for VR applications running in low-power, thermally-constrained devices - improving power efficiency compared to not using the SDK

Qualcomm's SDK announcement comes after a heavily VR-focused Mobile World Congress in February. Several of Qualcomm's partner companies, including LG and Samsung, showed off their virtual reality plans at the trade show.