What you need to know
- Qualcomm is drawing our attention toward its XR work, stating “something new” is coming to that environment.
- The company teases a “smarter and more immersive” XR system, which is likely based on its upcoming Snapdragon chip.
- It leads us to wonder if something big is being prepared for Meta Connect in September, or the new Pico XR headset.
Qualcomm is teasing what’s next in the world of XR, and our minds are wondering: is Meta involved?
Qualcomm started teasing that a “new reality is coming soon” on a short X post this week. Of course, it looks like we should expect its Snapdragon chip to be a part of this major reveal—whenever that’s set to be. The company has been working to create a new chip that it’s positioning as a game-changer for XR.
The teaser continues, stating, “Imagine #XR that’s smarter and more immersive than anything you’ve experienced before.” While what Qualcomm’s posting has users interested, that’s not quite what’s got everyone talking (us, included). The post is accompanied by a short teaser video showing a Snapdragon chip inside an XR headset.
It’s got users wondering if Qualcomm is teasing another device from Samsung or Meta. Many users theorize that Qualcomm is using a Meta Quest Pro in its video. For us, we think the company is gearing up for a big debut at Meta Connect later this year. The headset involved certainly feels like a Quest product. Just compare it to the image at the top of this article. However, there’s always a chance that it’s not a major Meta teaser, but rather a Pico prelude.
XR keeps advancing
Imagine #XR that’s smarter and more immersive than anything you’ve experienced before. Something new is coming 👀 pic.twitter.com/2Of6E0BS2RJune 9, 2026
If that last sentence has you confused, don’t worry. Pico is a headset brand that was acquired by ByteDance, TikTok‘s parent company, in 2021. In a way, you could consider this TikTok’s rival to the Meta Quest. The headset that we alluded to is under Project Swan: a “high-end” XR device with custom silicon and an altered design. Pico announced earlier this year that it had plans to bring its new headset to North America this year.
That leads us right into our Meta Quest rival scenario. Circling back to Meta, the company announced its Connect event is confirmed for September 23-24, 2026. We’ve got AI and the Quest on our minds, and Meta confirmed as much. The company’s evening keynote will involve AI, VR, wearables, and more. Meta’s given us enough of a teaser to have us brainstorming for a little while. What we’re most curious about is whether or not it will give us anything new about the long-rumored Ultralight Quest.
Android Central’s Take
Regardless if Qualcomm is teasing something for a Quest or not, Meta Connect is shaping up to be an interesting event. Meta’s been going all in on AI, and hopefully that means it’s placing equal effort on its next wave of XR headsets. Details are still light, as we’re only in June. We should expect to see more in the coming months leading up to the main keynote.
