With Windows Mixed Reality Holiday Update, Microsoft looks to “democratize virtual reality”

Stepping into the rather expensive VR competition, Microsoft announced last year that they and their partners HP, Lenovo, Dell, and Acer were building their own Mixed Reality hardware. The Windows Mixed Reality headsets have since gained the public’s eye with a promised lower price of $399 with higher quality to come down the line at $499.

In preparation for the IFA conference in Berlin this week Microsoft shared their next update for the Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Mainly, Microsoft will be showing off the devices with built-in sensors that plug and play. This way, setting up is a breeze for anyone that wants to jump into mixed reality and the device is portable to use. There are two settings depending on the PC that you hook your device into:

• Windows Mixed Reality PCs: will consist of desktops and laptops with integrated graphics. When plugged into these devices, our immersive headsets will run at 60 frames per second.
• Windows Mixed Reality Ultra PCs: will consist of desktops and laptops with discrete graphics. When plugged into these devices, our immersive headsets will run at 90 frames per second.

While the main highlight will be the headset and motion controllers themselves, there is also some fun software announcements thrown in the mix. Such as 343 Industries bringing exclusive Halo content to the Windows Mixed Reality platform. Of course, there aren’t any details yet, but it’s enough to tantalize the taste buds.

Gamers will also be excited to know that Steam VR content will also run on Windows Mixed Reality headsets, making it the cheapest option to enjoy the most popular digital marketplace.