aware that technology Avatar Codec 2.0 requires significant resources (of those that require a gaming PC to operate), the engineers of Meta do not want it to be reserved only for an elite or to have to wait years for it to be accessible to all. The Meta Quest current ones being too weak to use said technology (see article), Meta Reality Labs created a helmet prototype VR able to independently run the Avatar Codec 2.0.
This prototype will feature a bespoke, purpose-built accelerator chip to handle the AI processing, enabling the rendering of photorealistic codec avatars, all on its own. Until then, the first versions of the Avatar codecs relied on the power of a NVIDIA Titan X (equivalent to a GTX 1080 Ti), the optimization work required is simply prodigious given the power gap between a dedicated graphics card and the chipsets integrated mobiles of Meta Quest 1 and 2.
It was very difficult for the group to make such a chip, which remains at odds with industry standards. This one, engraved in 7 nm and with a dimension of 1.6 mm², makes it possible both to reduce energy costs, but also to reduce the latency inherent in memory accesses. Thus, the prototype presented achieves performance of 30 frames per second, all in a compact way and with low power consumption.users of Quest will appreciate.
the chipsets is designed to adapt to the context in which it evolves, so it will not work in the same way depending on the number of avatars displayed. The chip having been tested on a Meta Quest 2 headset, it takes care of coding the avatars while the processor XR2 decodes them in order to display them, which greatly relieves the latter. Alone, the XR2 would be constantly used at 100% of its capacity with performance well below.
If the implementation of this chip on future models of Meta Quest 2 (v3?) seems unlikely, the integration of it on one or more future models of the firm leaves little doubt. We would thus benefit from a power gap that could potentially bring us closer to 60 frames / second, as is currently the case on PCs for gamers. Anyway, this is excellent news for those who have always dreamed of seeing themselves in virtual reality!
If you haven’t taken the plunge yet, you can treat yourself to a Meta Quest 2 at the house of Bakerthe Fnac, Darty Where Amazon for €349.99.