Microsoft Corp. and Qualcomm Technologies Inc. today announced a new partnership to accelerate the adoption of augmented reality in both the consumer and the enterprise sectors.

Announced at the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show, the partnership will see Qualcomm work with Microsoft across several initiatives to support the ecosystem. These initiatives include the development of custom AR chips and the integration of software such as Microsoft Mesh and Snapdragon Spaces XR Development Platform.

Since both companies are “believers in the metaverse,” the new custom AR chips will be designed to enable a new wave of power-efficient, lightweight AR glass that can deliver rich and immersive experiences. The partnership is said to recognize Qualcomm’s spatial computing expertise, technology leadership and desire to create immersive experiences for the next generation of head-worn AR devices.

“This collaboration reflects the next step in both companies’ shared commitment to XR and the metaverse,” Hugo Swart, vice president and general manager of XR at Qualcomm, said in a statement. “Qualcomm Technologies’ core XR strategy has always been delivering the most cutting-edge technology, purpose-built XR chipsets and enabling the ecosystem with our software platforms and hardware reference designs.”

Rubén Caballero, corporate vice president of mixed reality at Microsoft, also noted that “our goal is to inspire and empower others to collectively work to develop the metaverse future – a future that is grounded in trust and innovation.”

Qualcomm and Microsoft have partnered in the past, including an alliance in 2018 to help catch up in the voice assistant market. Microsoft also features custom SQ1 and SQ2 chips, developed in conjunction with Qualcomm, in its Arm-based Surface Pro X and has worked with Qualcomm on developing Arm-based Windows personal computers.

While still some way off entering the mainstream, interest in virtual reality and AR has continued to increase in the last year, with the likes of Meta Platforms Inc. embracing the metaverse as a core part of its future strategy.

Microsoft has form in the AR market through its HoloLens AR glasses. Microsoft has carved out a strong niche for the glasses in the commercial market, including contracts with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Army.

Image: Microsoft