(Pocket-lint) - Qualcomm has announced a new processor that it hopes will not only power the VR headsets of tomorrow, but also mean they are considerably cheaper than the current offerings.

If companies making these forward-looking devices want people - other the developers - buying them, they have to lower their prices. We all know that VR and AR headsets aren't cheap.

Many fans of the technology believe that the $200 Oculus Go is a good start, but Microsoft's HoloLens, on the other hand, starts at $3,000. That's basically the price of a used car. While it may be acceptable to developers and other commercial users, consumers will want a lower price.

Enter: Qualcomm's XR1 processor. It's supposed to power the HoloLens 2, according to Engadget. Now, we recently told you Microsoft's so-called HoloLens 2 headset will launch by this end of this year or in early 2019. Either way, it's supposed to use this new chip, which is designed to help AR and VR be more convenient and affordable. But Microsoft isn't the only company using this chip.

Everyone from HTC to Vuzix are working on XR1-based devices, which means we're getting closer to a day where VR and AR headsets will be much more approachable. And, honestly, that's the next step to wide-spread adoption. Lower your price, and people will come.

Writing by Maggie Tillman.