Qualcomm Unveils S3 Gen 2 Sound Platform For Low-Lag Gaming Audio On Next-Gen Phones

Qualcomm has announced its new S3 Gen 2 Sound platform that is designed to deliver a low latency audio experience for lag-free gaming audio. The platform is designed to be used with dongles and adapters and includes support for Snapdragon Sound Technology.

Mobile gamers are always looking for any advantage that will give them the edge in a heated battle. One of the areas where finding an edge has been a bit more difficult is with audio. Until now gamers have had to use proprietary dongles or adapters from companies in order to receive a low latency audio experience. Now, Qualcomm is looking to broaden the low latency bridge with its own S3 Gen 2 Sound platform.

The company says the newly enhanced solution is optimized for gaming. The technology combines Snapdragon Sound and LE Audio in order to deliver ultra-low latency of less than 20ms, which translates into lag-free wireless audio with voice back-channel for in-game chat. If the gamer is only utilizing game audio, the latency is reduced even further.

"With every generation of Snapdragon Sound, we have driven down latencies and improved audio quality, and with this latest addition to our Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 Sound portfolio, we are providing our best wireless gaming experience yet," explained Mike Canevaro, Head of Snapdragon Sound, Qualcomm Technologies. He continued, "We know from our annual State of Sound survey that consumers want lag-free audio for gaming, but until now this immersive wireless audio experience has been reserved for proprietary gaming solutions."

The new sound platform is not only for gaming, however. It also means that the same device being used can also benefit from the low latency for calls and ultra-premium music enjoyment. The new technology can also be used for audio sharing, which can be enabled by Auracast Broadcast. This includes being able to share audio with multiple people from a person's smartphone or laptop, or listening in to a wirelessly streamed Auracast audio in public places, according to Canevaro. He added that it can also be used to design dongles and adapters that will enable Auracast Broadcast audio sharing.

Qualcomm says its S3 Gen 2 Sound platform is optimized for gamers utilizing adapters used in audio sources. The company touted, "Gamers can walk away from their consoles or PC and still hear all the gaming action and participate in the chat with no interruptions to the audio."