AMD to bang up the virtual reality drums at IFA, Summit Ridge expected in early 2017

AMD send out a press blast to share some details of the keynote it will present at this week's IFA conference in Berlin. Mark Papermaster and Roy Taylor will be discussing the opportunity of virtual reality, a market that's expected to see tremendous growth over the next couple of years.

Furthermore, AMD also reiterated that its Summit Ridge "Zen" processors for the desktop market are expected to launch in early 2017.

?AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) announced today that Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Mark Papermaster, will deliver a keynote address “ Race to Reality – The Next Billion-People Market Opportunity,” on Saturday September 3, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. Central European Time (7:00 AM Eastern Time) in CityCube Berlin at IFA consumer electronic shows in Berlin.

“Today’s examples of virtual reality are just starting to show us what is possible. Key improvements in computing hardware, displays and sensors will occur over the next two to five years that will deliver improvements in performance, affordability, mobility of virtual reality solutions and form the foundation for a breadth of exciting new applications of the technology” said Papermaster. “Virtual and augmented reality have the potential to radically change many industries – from entertainment to education to healthcare - as it ushers us into a new era of innovation. The building blocks are all there, now the industry just needs to focus on improving hardware, visualization and software.”

The market potential is substantial. A new report from research firm IDC states that the total revenue for virtual reality and augmented reality is projected to increase from $5.2 billion in 2016 to over $162 billion in 2020.1

Joining Papermaster on stage to discuss VR will be Roy Taylor, AMD Corporate Vice President of Alliances. Taylor was recently appointed chairman of the new virtual reality advisory group within the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

The independent advisory group will be tasked with exploring the impact that VR will have on the current landscape of the film, television and games industries, and the opportunities for the next generation of storytellers to work within a new medium. Several VR industry leaders will also be joining on stage to discuss virtual reality developments in vertical areas including entertainment, broadcasting, journalism and education.

“Virtual reality is quickly overcoming the technical challenges that have limited its potential in the past,” said Tom Mainelli, IDC’s program vice president of devices and AR/VR. “Rapid improvements in graphics processors, CPUs and software are creating greater performance and lower costs that will lead to a huge increase in shipment volumes in the near term. The technology has the potential to transform many industries and is rapidly approaching a tipping point that will fully launch an immersive era of computing.”

AMD is creating the next generation of graphics and compute processing to drive virtual reality into mainstream use. The recently introduced AMD Radeon™ RX 480 offers stunning graphics and smooth, comfortable VR experiences. The new graphics card is available now starting at SEP $199 USD, making it the most affordable graphics solution for premium PC VR experiences on the market today. The company also recently previewed the next-generation, high-performance “Zen” processor core, which has achieved a 40 percent generational improvement in instructions per clock, delivering a landmark increase in processor performance for AMD. “Zen”-based “Summit Ridge”-powered desktops are expected to launch in early 2017.