Qualcomm has announced its S3 Gen 2 audio platform can now support sub-20-millisecond latency on devices that utilise Snapdragon Sound.

For comparison, Qualcomm’s aptX Low Latency codec was able to deliver 42 millisecond latency, which is impressive when stacked up against the 100-300ms latency seen in traditional Bluetooth earbuds.

While such latency doesn’t matter at all for standalone audio, such lag times are unacceptable in gaming, which is why gamers have traditionally stuck to wired audio for the best experience.

Qualcomm told Digital Trends the sub-20ms lag is best achieved with a pair of Bluetooth headphones and a USB dongle for a gaming PC – and “expects most manufacturers will combine earbuds or headphones with a pre-paired S3 Gen 2 adapter in the box.”