Qualcomm to subsidize virtual-reality costs for headset makers – MarketWatch

Qualcomm Corp. QCOM, -0.08% is doubling down on its virtual-reality efforts as it seeks to make its processors more attractive to headset manufacturers over rivals, such as Intel Corp. INTC, -0.11% The company announced Thursday a head-mounted display accelerator program designed to help original equipment manufacturers enter the virtual-reality market by subsidizing some of their engineering costs. Qualcomm said it will help to reduce the time it takes to create, develop and go to market, and estimates the program will help manufacturers get a commercial product available "within just a few months." Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, which compete with similar chips produced by Intel, power the technology behind immersive virtual-reality experiences. Last year, the company said it was developing a standalone headset that could be easily adapted to specific manufacturers' specializations. At CES this year, Intel also showcased its own standalone virtual-reality headset called Project Alloy. Shares of Qualcomm were inactive in premarket trade. They've declined by more than 16% in the past three months, underperforming a 7.2% increase for the S&P 500 SPX, +0.02% Intel's shares are up 2.5% in the past three months.

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Qualcomm to subsidize virtual-reality costs for headset makers - MarketWatch