I stood nervously on a narrow, circular platform suspended in the center of a massive sphere. As I looked down over the edge at what must have been a 500-meter drop, vertigo took hold. I anxiously stepped back to regain my focus. Then, taking a deep breath, I stepped forward to grab what appeared to be a short, curiously designed pipe. With a flick of a button toward its top, a green beam of light rushed forth from the pipe accompanied by the familiar and satisfying electric screech of a lightsaber. It was just in time, because that floating orb circling above in this dark expanse had just fired a laser beam at me.

After deflecting a few of these laser blasts and several failed attempts to convince the guy running the demo to declare, “I am your father,” I put down the lightsaber and pulled off the headset. I had just finished my first virtual reality (VR) experience, and could not wait for the next.

Welcome to the world of VR. This technology enables you to immerse yourself into any world of your choosing. And you are truly immersed. Some VR demos for Google Cardboard are horror games, with very creepy things happening in the room around you—and it’s infinitely more terrifying to physically look over your shoulder to see what is sneaking up behind you than just to click the left button on your game controller.

I’m thrilled for the next wave of VR games and experiences, and I’m even more excited that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor arrives in time to make them all that much better. Here’s why the Snapdragon 820 is at the forefront of all the areas essential in delivering that feeling of true immersion:

The Sights