Samsung may soon unveil new sensor for AR, VR headsets

Tech giant Samsung is reportedly planning to unveil a new time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for AR/VR (mixed reality) headsets which will feature an on-chip Image Signal Processor (ISP). Also Read: Diwali Sale Feast! Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra Price Cut Under Rs 1 Lakh, Here's How

“Samsung is planning to unveil a new ToF sensor targeting the VR and AR markets in VLSI 2023. This sensor supports on-chip ISP and is manufactured using a 2-stack process technology,” tipster @Tech_Reve tweeted on Wednesday. “It can measure distances at speeds of up to 60fps with a maximum range of 5m, all while supporting low power consumption of 188mW.” Also Read: Samsung Galaxy M17 5G Sale Begins In India Today: Check The Price, Specifications, And More For This Budget Phone

Last month, it was reported that the tech giant was planning to develop chips for XR (Extended Reality) devices as the company is expected to unveil a new XR headset sometime later this year or the first half of next year. That might be an interesting development since Samsung may be feeling the need to enter the headset industry again after the debut of the Apple Vision Pro headset. The company had shuttered its virtual reality headset project some years back after virtual reality and augmented reality-based products struggled to lure customers. Also Read: Just Like Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, But Better! This New Foldable Samsung W26 Has Something Special

Apple’s first headset, Vision Pro, is poised to be the most advanced headset by far. It uses several cameras and sensors to let you operate the headset and the contents in it using just your hands. It uses two high-quality 4K micro-LED displays, one for each eye, that come with a screen on top. In addition to giving you immersive virtual experiences, the display becomes transparent when you are talking to someone or someone is in the vicinity. The Apple Vision Pro headset is likely to become available next year in the US at $3,499 (roughly Rs 2.87 lakh).

Meanwhile, in February this year, the South Korean firm announced that it has partnered with Qualcomm and Google to build an ecosystem for XR. The announcement did not include any specific products under development or a timeline for them but industry experts speculate Samsung might develop XR headsets built on Qualcomm’s chipset and Google’s operating system.

— Written with inputs from IANS