Upstate, Windows Mixed Reality is on its way to a farm. An official list of Windows features that are no longer supported by Microsoft indicates that the platform is closing. This includes the standard Windows Mixed Reality software, the companion Steam VR app, and the Mixed Reality Portal app. Although Microsoft says the platform will be “removed in a future release of Windows,” it is not yet gone.
In an effort to take on competitors in the virtual reality market, such as HTC and Oculus (which is currently owned by Meta), Microsoft first unveiled Windows Mixed Reality back in 2017. When the technology first came out, we were enthralled with it because it allowed for in-person shared mixed reality. A comparable experience might be provided by the costly Apple Vision Pro when it presumably launches in February.
Acer, Asus, and Samsung, among other manufacturers, as well as the HP Reverb G2 VR headset, eventually embraced Microsoft’s platform. Gamers could access experiences, games, and a plethora of productivity apps related to work through the Windows Mixed Reality Portal app. But judging from today’s news, it appears that the adoption rate wasn’t up to par.
It doesn’t appear that Microsoft’s other mixed-reality ecosystem, the HoloLens 2, will be impacted by the platform’s impending demise. The Verge reports that Microsoft updated the business-oriented headset to Windows 11 earlier this year in addition to making other improvements. Moreover, it began sending them to the Army for field testing. Yes. That last bit was correctly read by you.
But not everything in HoloLens land is sunshine and roses. Microsoft reportedly stopped working on the HoloLens 3 project. According to a 2022 report, the company collaborated with Samsung to create an undisclosed mixed-reality gadget; however, according to Microsoft representative Frank Shaw, the company is still “committed to HoloLens and future HoloLens development.”
In addition, Microsoft has eliminated positions and discontinued the AltspaceVR app as a result of broad cuts made across its VR division. Nonetheless, the business is still working on its in-house Mesh app, which enables colleagues to collaborate virtually without the need for a headset.