Microsoft Oct. 26 revealed that in 2017 five different companies will manufacture virtual reality headsets for the Windows 10 platform, with the headsets capable of what the company has termed “mixed reality.”
Mixed reality—or as Microsoft put it, blending the virtual world with the real world—would allows users to see layers of virtual reality on top of what’s in front of them. Microsoft showed off a concept using the Microsoft Edge browser with HoloLens, the company’s holographic platform, with home renovation company Houzz demonstrating how users could preview products in their home before buying them.
“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella in a statement. “With Windows 10, Microsoft Surface and the medium of mixed reality, we aim to empower the builders, the makers and the creators with the tools to create, collaborate and express themselves in new ways.”
HP, Lenovo, Dell, Acer and ASUS have all promised to ship VR headsets capable of mixed reality in 2017 and all have agreed to stick to a $300 price point.
Also Oct. 26, Microsoft announced that an update to Windows 10 will make it easier to create customized eSports tournaments for both PCs and the Xbox One gaming system.
