Microsoft to Start Shipping Windows Mixed Reality Development Kits in March

Microsoft and Magic Leap aren’t the only companies working on augmented reality headsets.

Microsoft will bring mixed reality to the Xbox One and Project Scorpio in 2018, the company announced at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco Wednesday. The technology is built directly into the headset, and could mean that relocating the VR setup is as easy as picking up the headset and laptop and moving rooms.

The presentation will be provided by senior Microsoft security engineers and security architects Brian Hopper and Daryl Pecelj to show you exactly how they make this work.

Microsoft says that the headset will deliver integrated tracking with no need to buy or install external sensors or trackers.

Acer is getting into the mix first and will be offering its headset to developers this month.

Microsoft’s device can find a wide assortment of uses in entertainment as well as productivity as opposed to VR headsets, which seem to lay somewhat more focus upon gaming and movies. The future Xbox is set to get “mixed reality” in 2018, but the console is also supposed to be capable of virtual reality (VR) at launch. But many upcoming VR headsets might also have those capabilities.

The full line starts at $299, but Microsoft didn’t detail which end of the pricing spectrum Asus’ mixed reality headset will sit. Previously, the Microsoft HoloLens was the only flagbearer for the system. While we shouldn’t be surprised that these headsets aren’t ready for store shelves, we do wonder whether we’ll see them in 2017 at all.

Furthermore, Microsoft pointed game developers interested in working with its headsets to the [email protected] program, an initiative created to get indie developers making games for Xbox One and Windows 10. These new Windows Mixed Reality headsets aren’t quite there yet. Microsoft’s building a different ecosystem for these, built on what HoloLens already supports.

Microsoft started using UUP to release new Insider Preview builds past year, starting with the mobile build 14959 and the PC build 14986. It also has a built-in audio out and microphone, a single cable with HDMI 2.0, and USB 3.0 for data connectivity.