Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality Headsets may not support SteamVR at launch

Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality Headsets may not support SteamVR at launch

Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality Headsets may not support SteamVR at launch

 
It has been reported that Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Mixed Reality headsets will not be released with support for SteamVR on October 17th, limiting the software support for these devices at launch.
 
According to Computerbase.de, Microsoft’s Communications Director for Mixed Reality, Greg Sullivan, said that work on supporting Valve’s platform has only just begun, which means that support for SteamVR will not be present on launch day. At this time Microsoft has delivered no ETA for this feature update. 

At launch, it looks like only titles from the Windows 10 Store will be supported by Microsoft’s VR headsets, unless dedicated support for Windows Mixed Reality is added to existing software, which is unlikely given the promised support for SteamVR/OpenVR.   

 

Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality Headsets may not support SteamVR at launch

 

The major selling point of Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality Headsets is their low cost and ease of use, requiring no external tracking systems to function properly. 

What remains to be seen is how accurate Microsoft’s Inside-out tracking system is and how well this system will work in gaming applications, or how well their controller tracking system will function in games.

Early Windows 10 VR headsets cost around $399 for both the VR headset and motion controllers, making it one of the most affordable PC-VR systems on the market.  

Windows 10 VR will also lack any external VR tracking cameras and/or sensors, which should make their headsets much easier to setup and use than competing offerings. This comes at the cost of accuracy, but it is unknown how well these new headsets perform in this regard.

  

You can join the discussion on Microsoft’s SteamVR support for Mixed Reality Headsets on the OC3D Forums. 

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