A lot of Microsoft and Xbox supporters will be quite disappointed with one of the E3 announcements. Amid the sea of all new and upcoming games, one particular message was lost in the process. Microsoft will not bring VR or mixed reality to Xbox anytime soon.
No VR Love for XBox Users
Unlike what some people might have hoped, it seems Microsoft will not offer any virtual reality or mixed reality to the Xbox consoles. That in itself is a bit of a worrisome trend, especially when considering how the PlayStation VR is such a success. Additionally, Microsoft’s own HoloLens seems to pack quite the punch as well.
As such, it comes as a big surprise to learn Microsoft will not incorporate these technologies into their Xbox console. Although a great media center of its own, Microsoft will mainly focus on PC for virtual and mixed reality moving forward. On paper, it is not the worst decision, although it will undoubtedly spark some debates along the way.
Microsoft CMO Mike Nichols commented:
“We don’t have any plans specific to Xbox consoles in virtual reality or mixed reality. Our perspective on it has been and continues to be that the PC is probably the best platform for more immersive VR and MR. As an open platform, it just allows faster, more rapid iteration. There are plenty of companies investing in it in the hardware side and the content side, or some combination therein.”
Surprisingly, it does seem Microsoft will pay some attention to augmented reality for mobile devices. How that will play out exactly, remains a bit unclear at this time. Even so, it is good to see Microsoft offer some clarity in this regard. For Xbox users, it will be interesting to see if this is the smart choice by the technology giant.
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