Ever wanted to be a Power Ranger? Qualcomm is making that a (virtual) reality
Power Rangers VR uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 'powers'
Admit it, you've wanted to become a Power Ranger since the early 90s to karate kick bad dudes back to the moon and save the always-oblivious citizens of Angel Grove every weekday afternoon.
Good news: Qualcomm and Lionsgate are about to morph CES 2017 into Angel Grove with a Power Rangers VR Experience, and it's going to be powered by the all-new Snapdragon 835 chipset, according to a newly released invite to press.
The Power Rangers VR Experience, debuting at Qualcomm's VIP unveil on January 4, is a one-two karate-chop-kick preview combo. First, the movie doesn't come out until March 24, so it's an early way of diving into the Power Ranger action-filled, big-screen comeback.
Second, this will mark the first time we get to check out the powers of newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. There's no task more demanding than that virtual reality, so we'll be able to see just how powerful your 2017 smartphone will be on January 4.
Yes, there are Zords
Qualcomm's invite doesn't play spoiler with too many details about its Power Rangers VR Experience CES demo, but it does throw in some meaningful hints.
"The VR experience is designed to allow audiences to enter the zords of their favorite Power Ranger, embodying their powers and capabilities," said today's announcement to everyone's inner 12-year-old delight.
It's also going to be a 3D experience that's meant to prove the Snapdragon 835 is up to our demanding 2017 tasks. That includes 3D graphics with real-time rendering, which are capabilities you'd expect from Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
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Go go, Snapdragon 835 (do-do do-do do-do-do)
Snapdragon isn't one of the names of the Power Rangers' Zords, but the new 835 chipset is at the heart of this movie-VR experience tie-in.
That's going to be a step up from the Snapdragon 821 processor, which powers the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL for Google Daydream View VR.
It's an even bigger jump from the Snapdragon 820, which is found in phones like the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and Samsung Gear VR.
We're probably going to strap on a prototype VR headset at CES 2017 (standard for pre-release demos), but we're likely to see the same tech in future phones, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6.
Seeing mobile VR handle massive Zords in 3D while hopefully hearing Zordon's booming voice (via the unmistakable Brian Cranston) in going to be telling ahead of new phones.
It's clear that big players like Facebook and Samsung see the future of VR not as a tethered PC experience, but a near-limitless mobile experience; one that fits in between PC VR and current mobile VR offerings.
And we'll see just how much Qualcomm is able to close the gap between the two on January 4.