Microsoft is going all in on “mixed reality”, as evident by an event it plans to hold for the technology.
The Redmond, Washington-based company has invited the media to a Windows Mixed Reality event in San Francisco on 3 October, and it promises to discuss “where Microsoft is headed next” in the space. Microsoft’s mixed reality platform is supposed to be a mix between augmented reality and virtual reality, though the first headsets seem to lean more toward the VR end of the spectrum.
Microsoft has been exploring mixed reality since 2015, when it announced the HoloLens headset, but more recently, it’s allowed major PC partners to create their own Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Last month, at IFA in Berlin, Microsoft shared more details about these partner headsets, which are due to start arriving 17 October, alongside the Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update.
They will have built-in sensors to track your physical position, and they don’t require you to buy or install external sensors in your room. You won’t need a large play space either or hours of setup. You’re suppose to just “plug and play”. HP, Lenovo, and Acer are just three of the companies working on them. They’re all supposed to be affordable, too. For instance, they start at $299.
But if you get them with Microsoft’s hand motion controllers, which work like Oculus Touch but without the camera sensors, the bundles start at $399. These headsets will also be compatible with new PC models starting at $499. Anyway, we expect Microsoft to showcase games, apps, and other software experiences that will take advantage of its partners’ upcoming hardware.
ZDNet said it doesn’t think Microsoft will unveil new hardware of its own during the event and will instead focus on how partners’ headsets fit into its mixed reality strategy.
Source: Pocket-lint