Microsoft is discontinuing its mixed reality platform for Windows

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 program, the companion Steam VR client, and the Mixed Reality Portal app. Although Microsoft states the platform will be “removed in a future release of Windows,” it is not yet gone.

To take on competitors in the virtual reality market, such as HTC and Oculus (which is currently owned by Meta), Microsoft initially revealed Windows Mixed Reality back in 2017. When the technology initially came out, we were enthralled with it since it allowed for in-person shared mixed reality. A comparable experience might be provided by the costly Apple Vision Pro when it probably releases in February.

Ultimately, several VR headsets, including the HP Reverb G2 and others made by Acer, Asus, and Samsung, adopted Microsoft’s technology. Through the Windows Mixed Reality Portal app, users could access a variety of productivity tools, games, and experiences. But based on today’s report, it appears that the adoption rate wasn’t sufficient.

Though the platform is about to cease, it doesn’t appear to influence Microsoft’s other mixed-reality ecosystem, the HoloLens 2. According to The Verge, Microsoft upgraded the business-focused headset to Windows 11 earlier this year in addition to making other upgrades. Additionally, it began sending them to the Army to be tested in action.

But not everything in HoloLens Land is sunshine and roses. Microsoft has discontinued working on the HoloLens 3 project. According to a 2022 rumor, the business collaborated with Samsung to create an undisclosed mixed-reality gadget, but, 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 because of broad cuts made across its VR group. Nonetheless, the business is still working on its in-house mesh program, which enables colleagues to collaborate virtually without the need for a headset.