Qualcomm’s new augmented reality technology can expand your office space with virtual screens

Something to look forward to: Have you ever wished you had more display space but lacked the physical space to make it a reality? Qualcomm has found a solution to this problem by introducing a new AR technology that expands your computer’s desktop by using virtual monitors to increase your workspace.

The technology was demonstrated at Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Summit 2021, where attendees were able to test the virtual screen app for themselves. The setup consisted of a pair of augmented reality glasses connected to a laptop with the new Qualcomm 8cx Gen 3 SoC processor, which ran an app to project virtual screens onto the augmented reality glasses.

Note that Windows has designated each default monitor as a new display. Users can move the virtual screen wherever they want, which will definitely help. The virtual screens provided some latency, but the overall experience was still acceptable — at least if you used them to read and browse the web. If you plan to watch movies or games, you may have to wait for better AR technology.

Another great feature offered by Qualcomm’s AR technology is privacy. Only the wearer can see the virtual screens, so if you’re working in a public place, the only thing other people will see is what’s displayed on your laptop screen.

Besides the typical oscillation of the glasses themselves (the result of a one-size-fits-all design), they also offer a somewhat limited field of view. Since the glasses may have been just a prototype, these issues are understandable.

While Qualcomm is developing augmented reality technology that appears more oriented towards desktop use, companies like Microsoft are targeting the military and automotive industries.