Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit
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| Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit | |
|---|---|
| |
| Basic Info | |
| VR/AR | Virtual Reality |
| Type | Head-mounted display |
| Subtype | Standalone VR |
| Platform | Android |
| Creator | Qualcomm |
| Developer | Qualcomm |
| Manufacturer | Thundercomm |
| Announcement Date | 23 February 2017 |
| Release Date | 2017 (developer kit sold by Thundercomm; listed in its online store by August 2017) |
| Price | US$1,500 (Thundercomm online store, August 2017) |
| Website | https://developer.qualcomm.com |
| Predecessor | Snapdragon 820 VR HMD reference design |
| Successor | Snapdragon 845 VR Development Kit |
| System | |
| Operating System | Android 7.1 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (APQ8098) |
| CPU | 8-core Qualcomm Kryo 280 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 |
| Storage | |
| Storage | 64 GB UFS (UFS 2.1 per Thundercomm); microSD card slot |
| Memory | 4 GB LPDDR4 (listed by Thundercomm as LPDDR4x) |
| Display | |
| Display | Single 5.67" WQHD AMOLED panel |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 (two megapixels per eye) |
| Refresh Rate | 90 Hz (Qualcomm reference design, as reported by Road to VR); 60 Hz (Thundercomm developer kit specification) |
| Image | |
| Field of View | 100° (Qualcomm figure for the reference design lenses, as reported by Road to VR) |
| Optics | |
| Optics | Non-Fresnel lenses |
| Ocularity | Binocular |
| Tracking | |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out (two front-facing stereo fisheye cameras plus IMU, processed on the Hexagon DSP) |
| Eye Tracking | Two monochrome VGA global shutter cameras with active depth sensing (Qualcomm announcement specification) |
| Hand Tracking | Optional Leap Motion mobile module (shown at GDC 2017) |
| Audio | |
| Audio | Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec (WCD9335); 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Microphone | 4 digital microphones |
| Camera | Two monochrome 1280 x 800 global shutter cameras with fisheye lenses |
| Connectivity | |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2x2 MIMO, 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Ports | USB 3.1 Type-C, 3.5 mm audio jack, microSD card slot |
| Power | Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Battery Capacity | 3344 mAh lithium-ion (non-removable) |
| Device | |
| Sensors | 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis magnetometer, proximity sensor, dual tracking cameras |
| Input | Trackpad, power, back, enter and volume buttons on the headset; 3DoF controller support |
The Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit (also known as Snapdragon 835 VRDK) is a standalone virtual reality head-mounted display reference design developed by Qualcomm. Qualcomm announced it on 23 February 2017 as early hardware for developers writing software for headsets built on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, together with an upgraded VR software development kit (SDK).[1] The design is part of Qualcomm's Head Mounted Display (HMD) Accelerator Program, which gave headset makers reference design materials, a pre-qualified list of components and access to original design manufacturers.[2]
The headset is an all-in-one design that needs no PC, smartphone or external sensors. It has a single 2560 x 1440 AMOLED panel, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage and inside-out six degrees of freedom (6DoF) head tracking from two front-facing cameras.[1][3] Qualcomm did not sell the kit itself.[4] Its developer site listed the kit as "A product of Thundercomm", and Thundercomm, a joint venture between ThunderSoft and Qualcomm, sold it through its online store for US$1,500 in 2017.[5][6][7]
Road to VR later described the 835 VRDK as the design from which several of the first standalone headsets grew, naming the HTC Vive Focus, the Lenovo Mirage Solo and the Pico Neo.[8] It was followed in 2018 by the Snapdragon 845 VR Development Kit.
History and development
Background
Qualcomm's earlier Snapdragon 820 VR HMD reference design was announced in September 2016. By February 2017, according to Qualcomm, four original design manufacturers (ODMs) had signed on with commercial designs based on it and five products had launched.[2]
HMD Accelerator Program
The Snapdragon 835 VRDK was developed as part of Qualcomm's Head Mounted Display Accelerator Program, which provides hardware manufacturers with reference designs and development tools to accelerate the creation of VR headsets using Qualcomm processors. Qualcomm announced the program in Barcelona on 23 February 2017. Manufacturers in the program could choose components from a pre-qualified list and either build their own headsets from the reference design materials or work with a turnkey ODM such as Goertek or Thundercomm to modify the "Snapdragon 835 VR HMD" for their own product. Qualcomm said VR tracking software from Leap Motion and SMI had been pre-optimized for the reference headset, and that the program also included pre-defined quality metrics, testing methods and accessories.[2]
In a presentation at the Game Developers Conference in February 2017, Qualcomm vice president of product management Tim Leland listed what the program offered: HMD design files including schematics, bill of materials, layout files and thermal design guidelines, sample units of the VR HMD (with availability then anticipated in the second quarter of 2017), validated ODM partners, component suppliers, and performance and quality testing.[9] Road to VR reported that Goertek and Thundercomm were the first two ODMs to join, and compared the approach to Intel's Project Alloy reference headset.[4]
Reference design purpose
While not intended for direct consumer sales, the VRDK serves as a complete reference implementation that manufacturers can use as a starting point for their own VR headset products.[10] Leland told TechRadar that developers had asked to see what the new silicon could do before commercial products reached the market, and that the headset's design was "100% Qualcomm's".[10] Road to VR reported that a manufacturer would choose which hardware and features to keep from the VRDK and could add its own to set its product apart, and that Qualcomm would also distribute the VRDK to content creators so that applications would be ready for headsets built on it.[4]
Announcement and GDC 2017 demonstrations
Qualcomm announced the development kit in a press release dated 23 February 2017 from San Francisco. It said the kit was expected to be available in the second quarter of 2017 through the Qualcomm Developer Network, and that commercial VR devices built with the Snapdragon 835 were expected to ship in the second half of 2017.[1] Cristiano Amon, then executive vice president of Qualcomm Technologies and president of QCT, said the kit was intended to help developers deliver experiences for "truly mobile, untethered virtual reality that's always connected to the internet".[1]
Qualcomm showed the headset at GDC 2017 with a hand-tracking module from Leap Motion. Road to VR reported that the module used two wide-angle lenses to give a 180-degree tracking field of view, that it was still technically an attachment shaped to fit the VRDK, and that Leap Motion said it would be integrated directly into mobile VR headsets built on the VRDK.[11] GamesBeat reported that the unit it tried at the show was a development headset that still used the previous year's Snapdragon 820, with production versions to use the 835, and that Leland described hand tracking as optional for manufacturers.[12]
Availability
In June 2017 Qualcomm's developer site marked the kit "Coming Soon" and invited developers to sign up for notification.[3] By August 2017 Thundercomm's store listed the Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit at US$1,500, with a head strap with counter balance, a Quick Charge power adapter and a USB cable included.[7] Qualcomm's page later linked to the Thundercomm store for purchases and said the Snapdragon VR SDK could be downloaded from Thundercomm. An archived copy from May 2022 still carried the purchase link.[6][13]
Design and hardware
Qualcomm's press release and the specification sheet Thundercomm published for the kit it sold differ in some details. Where they differ, both figures are given below.
Processor
The VRDK is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (APQ8098), a flagship mobile processor that Qualcomm promoted for VR applications:[14]
- CPU: Octa-core Kryo 280
- GPU: Adreno 540
- DSP: Hexagon 682[15]
Qualcomm said head tracking ran at 800 Hz on the integrated Hexagon DSP, leaving the CPU and GPU free for application and graphics work.[3] The kit also has dual Qualcomm Spectra 180 camera image signal processors.[14]
Display system
- Panel: Single WQHD AMOLED; Thundercomm gives the size as 5.67 inches[14]
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 (four megapixels total, two megapixels per eye)[1]
- Refresh rate: Road to VR listed a 90 Hz display for the reference headset, while Thundercomm's specification sheet for the developer kit lists 60 Hz[4][14]
- Motion-to-photon latency: 18 ms or less, according to Qualcomm and Thundercomm[3][14]
Thundercomm also lists Qualcomm TruPalette display gamut mapping and Qualcomm EcoPix pixel compression with variable refresh, which it says extends battery life.[14]
Field of view
Road to VR listed a 100-degree field of view for the reference headset in March 2017.[4] In June 2017 it reported seeing non-Fresnel lenses on the VRDK, which Qualcomm said have a 100-degree field of view.[16] Qualcomm's and Thundercomm's product pages give the figure as "90-120 degree of freedom per eye".[3][14]
Memory and storage
- RAM: 4 GB LPDDR4 (Qualcomm); Thundercomm lists LPDDR4x[1][14]
- Storage: 64 GB UFS internal (UFS 2.1 per Thundercomm), plus a microSD card slot[1][14]
Audio
The headset has an integrated Qualcomm Aqstic audio codec (WCD9335).[1] Thundercomm lists stereo, binaural positional audio and 3D surround sound, Fluence Pro noise filtering and active noise cancellation, and four digital microphones.[14] TechRadar noted that the headphones used in its demo were not included with the headset.[10]
Controls, connectivity and power
Qualcomm's announcement lists a trackpad on the right side of the headset, and its GDC presentation adds support for a 3DoF controller.[1][9] Thundercomm's sheet places a power button and volume control on the left side and a back button, enter button and trackpad on the right. A USB 3.1 Type-C port is on the left side, and a 3.5 mm audio jack and microSD card slot are on the right.[14]
Wireless connectivity is 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi (2x2 MIMO, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and Bluetooth 5.0. Power comes from a non-removable 3344 mAh lithium-ion battery with Quick Charge 3.0 support and a multi-color LED charging indicator.[14] GamesBeat reported that the Snapdragon 820-based unit it tried at GDC 2017 had a 3,600 mAh battery giving about five hours of use, and Leland said battery life would depend on content.[12] A Leap Motion representative told TechRadar that the headset ran for about two and a half hours.[10]
Tracking system
6DoF tracking
The VRDK includes full six degrees of freedom (6DoF) tracking through:[1]
- Cameras: Two monochrome stereo cameras of one megapixel each (1280 x 800) with fisheye lenses
- IMU: Gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetic compass, with a fast interface to the Snapdragon 835 sensor core
- Processing: DSP sensor fusion
In June 2017 Qualcomm named some of the components in the latest VRDK, as reported by Road to VR: a Bosch BMX055 inertial measurement unit for rotational tracking, and OmniVision OV9282 global shutter image sensors, which capture 1,280 x 800 images at 120 Hz or 640 x 480 images at 180 Hz, for positional tracking.[16] Thundercomm also lists a proximity sensor and Qualcomm's All-Ways Aware low-power "always-on" sensor technology.[14]
DSP sensor fusion
The Qualcomm Hexagon DSP enables sensor fusion, combining:[1]
- Camera positional data
- High-frequency inertial data from gyroscopes and accelerometers
- Predictive head position processing
Thundercomm lists 3DoF and 6DoF sensor fusion on the DSP at 1000 Hz among the SDK features.[14]
Eye tracking
Qualcomm's February 2017 specification includes eye tracking from two monochrome VGA global shutter cameras with active depth sensing.[1] The specification sheet for the kit Thundercomm sold does not list eye-tracking cameras.[14]
Snapdragon VR SDK
The VRDK utilizes the Snapdragon VR SDK, which provides developers access to features and optimizations including:[1]
Core technologies
- DSP sensor fusion: Low-latency 6DoF tracking
- Foveated rendering: Eye-tracking-based rendering optimization
- Fast motion to photon: Improved asynchronous time warp with single buffer rendering, which Qualcomm said could reduce latency by roughly 20% compared with previous Snapdragon products
- Stereoscopic rendering with lens correction: Color correction and barrel distortion for binocular rendering
- VR layering: Rendering of menus, text and other overlays so they display correctly in a virtual world
- Profiling and power management: Integration with Snapdragon Profiler and the Qualcomm Symphony System Manager SDK for CPU, GPU and DSP power and performance management
Thundercomm describes the SDK as targeting the Snapdragon 835 "for Android 7.1", and lists asynchronous timewarp, barrel distortion, chromatic aberration correction, display stabilization and reprojection, single buffered rendering, layering, sensor fusion and CPU/GPU power management among its core features.[14]
Engine support
The SDK includes Snapdragon plugin support for:[1]
- Unity
- Unreal Engine (Epic Games)
Foveated rendering
Foveated rendering senses the user's gaze direction and focuses maximum visual detail only in the region of interest, reducing GPU workload while maintaining perceived visual quality.[1]
Form factor
All-in-one design
The VRDK is a fully standalone VR headset requiring no:[4][10]
- External PC connection
- Smartphone insertion
- External sensors
Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (APQ8098) |
| CPU | 8-core Kryo 280 |
| GPU | Adreno 540 |
| RAM | 4 GB (LPDDR4 per Qualcomm; LPDDR4x per Thundercomm) |
| Storage | 64 GB UFS; microSD card slot |
| Display | Single WQHD AMOLED (5.67 inches per Thundercomm) |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1440 (two megapixels per eye) |
| Refresh rate | 90 Hz (reference design, per Road to VR); 60 Hz (Thundercomm specification) |
| Field of view | 100° (Qualcomm, per Road to VR); "90-120 degree of freedom per eye" (Qualcomm and Thundercomm product pages) |
| Motion-to-photon latency | 18 ms or less (Qualcomm) |
| Tracking | 6DoF inside-out (dual 1280 x 800 cameras + IMU) |
| Eye tracking | Two VGA global shutter cameras (Qualcomm announcement specification) |
| Audio | Aqstic WCD9335 codec; 4 digital microphones; 3.5 mm jack |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB 3.1 Type-C |
| Battery | 3344 mAh, non-removable (Thundercomm) |
| OS | Android 7.1 |
| SDK | Snapdragon VR SDK |
| Price | US$1,500 (Thundercomm, 2017) |
| Type | Reference Design |
Derivative products
The Snapdragon 835 VRDK influenced the development of commercial VR headsets from various manufacturers participating in Qualcomm's HMD Accelerator Program. In June 2017 Road to VR reported that Google had based its first prototype standalone Daydream headsets on the Qualcomm VRDK, and that the standalone Daydream headsets being developed by HTC and Lenovo would be built on the same foundation. The prototype Road to VR tried at Google I/O in May 2017 used year-old hardware, likely an older VRDK with the Snapdragon 820, while Qualcomm said the HTC and Lenovo headsets would use the latest VRDK with the Snapdragon 835. Road to VR understood the WorldSense tracking algorithm used on those headsets to have been developed by Google.[16]
HTC later dropped its standalone Daydream headset. In November 2017 it said it "will not be bringing a standalone device to the Western markets on Daydream", and it concentrated on its Vive Focus for China, and Engadget read a post by Google's Clay Bavor about using a pre-release Lenovo standalone headset as a sign that Lenovo's headset was still in development.[17] In February 2018 Road to VR wrote that the 835 VRDK was "the seed from which most of today's major standalone VR headsets were born", naming the Vive Focus, the Mirage Solo and the Pico Neo from Pico.[8]
Reception
The VRDK was a developer and reference product rather than a consumer device, and published impressions came from hands-on demonstrations at GDC 2017. TechRadar found the headset comfortable and lightweight, with only a slight sense that its weight sat at the front, and wrote that the display was crisp without the screen-door effect of smartphone-based headsets. In the Leap Motion block-building demo it noticed only slight lag between real and virtual hand movement, although fast hand movements were sometimes missed, and there was no haptic feedback. A second demo built around Power Rangers content showed "notable moments of lag and blurriness", and a Qualcomm representative agreed it was more "swimmy" than the block game.[10]
Writing for GamesBeat, Dean Takahashi found the untethered headset smaller and less bulky than the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift and lighter than Intel's Project Alloy prototype; he said the resolution was good but the tracking was not perfectly precise.[12] Road to VR's Ben Lang wrote that he could feel a significant difference between the new Leap Motion module and the original sensor, largely because of its wider tracking field of view, and that he could keep hold of objects after they left his view.[11]
Successor
Qualcomm revealed the Snapdragon 845 VR Development Kit in February 2018. Road to VR reported Qualcomm's claims of a 30% increase in graphics performance and power efficiency and twice the display throughput of the 835 VRDK, along with eye tracking and Qualcomm's Adreno Foveation.[8]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 "Qualcomm Introduces Snapdragon 835 Virtual Reality Development Kit". PR Newswire. Qualcomm Incorporated. 2017-02-23. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qualcomm-introduces-snapdragon-835-virtual-reality-development-kit-300412283.html. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Qualcomm Announces Head Mounted Display Accelerator Program for VR Hardware Manufacturers". Qualcomm Investor Relations. Qualcomm Incorporated. 2017-02-23. https://s204.q4cdn.com/645488518/files/doc_news/2017/02/2017-02-23_Qualcomm_Announces_Head_Mounted_Display_881.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit". Qualcomm Developer Network. Qualcomm Technologies. 2017-06-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20170611163055/https://developer.qualcomm.com/hardware/snapdragon-835-vr-development-kit. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Ben Lang (2017-03-19). "First All-in-one VR Headsets Based on Qualcomm's VRDK Expected in 2H 2017". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/first-all-in-one-vr-headsets-based-on-qualcomms-vrdk-expected-in-2h-2017/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "About Us". Thundercomm. 2017-08-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20170816183503/http://svr.thundercomm.com/en/about. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit". Qualcomm Developer Network. Qualcomm Technologies. 2017-11-01. https://web.archive.org/web/20171101172107/https://developer.qualcomm.com/hardware/snapdragon-835-vr-development-kit. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Store". Thundercomm. 2017-08-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20170816182523/http://svr.thundercomm.com/en/svrproducts. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ben Lang (2018-02-21). "Qualcomm's 845 VRDK Reference Headset Boasts Eye-tracking, High Res, & High Framerate". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/qualcomms-845-vrdk-reference-headset-boasts-eye-tracking-high-res-high-framerate/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Tim Leland (2017-02). "VR is meant to be mobile: Qualcomm Snapdragon VR Technologies". Qualcomm Technologies. https://www.qualcomm.com/media/documents/files/vr-is-meant-to-be-mobile-qualcomm-snapdragon-vr-technologies.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Michelle Fitzsimmons (2017-03-01). "First look: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 VR Developer Kit headset". TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/news/first-look-qualcomm-snapdragon-835-vr-developer-kit-headset. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ben Lang (2017-03-11). "Leap Motion's New 180-degree Hand-tracking Comes to Qualcomm's Latest VRDK Headset". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/qualcomm-vrdk-vr835-leap-motion-hand-tracking/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Dean Takahashi (2017-03-06). "Qualcomm moves VR forward with wireless headset". GamesBeat. https://gamesbeat.com/qualcomm-moves-vr-forward-with-wireless-headset/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit". Qualcomm Developer Network. Qualcomm Technologies. 2022-05-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20220516081647/https://developer.qualcomm.com/hardware/snapdragon-835-vr-development-kit. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 14.00 14.01 14.02 14.03 14.04 14.05 14.06 14.07 14.08 14.09 14.10 14.11 14.12 14.13 14.14 14.15 "Snapdragon 835 VR Development Kit". Thundercomm. 2017-08-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807061427/http://svr.thundercomm.com/en/835SVRHMD-details. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ "Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 Mobile Platform". Qualcomm product brief. Qualcomm Technologies. https://www.qualcomm.com/content/dam/qcomm-martech/dm-assets/documents/snapdragon_product_brief_835_0.pdf. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Ben Lang (2017-06-29). "HTC Vive & Lenovo Standalone Headsets to be Based on Qualcomm Reference Design, Components Detailed". Road to VR. https://www.roadtovr.com/htc-vive-lenovo-standalone-headsets-based-qualcomm-reference-design-components-detailed/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
- ↑ Richard Lai (2017-11-14). "HTC Vive dropped its Google Daydream headset to focus on China". Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2017/11/14/htc-vive-focus-google-daydream-vr-cancelled/. Retrieved 2026-10-13.