--- description: Find out why Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform is one of the best inventions of 2021 title: Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform: The 100 Best Inventions of 2021 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3345882516b393fb/698a1e9ce76ad21c67639641/best-inventions-2021-Qualcomm-Snapdragon-XR2-Platform.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Nov 10, 2021 # Powering the Metaverse Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 Platform by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  With tech companies like Meta—previously known as Facebook—going full steam ahead on augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), or what some call the Metaverse, the need for high-speed mobile processors capable of running AR/VR applications is obvious. Enter [Qualcomm](https://www.qualcomm.com/ "undefined")’s XR2 processor, the first mobile AR/VR chip with 5G broadband connectivity, which enables high-speed AR/VR processing even on the go. Already being used in AR/VR headsets from Meta, HTC and others, the XR2 is not just fast-tracking technology lets users move freely around a space, meaning headsets using the chip don’t need cumbersome wires that can interrupt the experience. If the Metaverse is indeed our future, tech like the XR2 will help get us there. _—Patrick Lucas Austin_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2021/6114365/qualcomm-snapdragon-xr2-platform/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2021/6114365/qualcomm-snapdragon-xr2-platform/"},"headline":"Powering the Metaverse","datePublished":"2021-11-10T11:15:48.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-02T23:56:43.500Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2021/6114365/qualcomm-snapdragon-xr2-platform/","keywords":["list","franchise","best inventions","Best Inventions 2021"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3345882516b393fb/698a1e9ce76ad21c67639641/best-inventions-2021-Qualcomm-Snapdragon-XR2-Platform.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3345882516b393fb/698a1e9ce76ad21c67639641/best-inventions-2021-Qualcomm-Snapdragon-XR2-Platform.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2021/6114365/qualcomm-snapdragon-xr2-platform/","name":"Powering the Metaverse"}}]}] ```