SteamVR games launching in early preview on Windows Mixed Reality headsets

A week ago, we learned that Microsoft’s Windows Mixed Reality platform would be getting support for SteamVR video games on November 15. Well, the day has finally arrived, and Microsoft’s teams have signed off on the Steam VR Bridge for Windows Mixed Reality.

Team just signed off on our #SteamVR bridge for #WindowsMixedReality. Now all consumers can get it through #SteamEarlyAccess. Exciting and excited. Let us know what you think!

— Alex Kipman (@akipman) November 15, 2017

SteamVR content doesn’t seem to be available in Windows Mixed Reality at the time of our writing, but there are a couple of things you should know before getting started. First of all, Microsoft is recommending to use a PC with a GTX 1070 graphics card (or equivalent) and an Intel Core i7 processor for the best SteamVR experience in Windows Mixed Reality. PC requirements may vary by apps and other content on Steam, but it’s best to check the minimum requirements on a per title basis. Anyway, Steam and Microsoft will not be blocking PCs which don’t meet these requirements, but the performance of the overall experience may be impacted if used on a computer with a lesser powered processor.

To set up the SteamVR experience once it has gone live, you’ll need to create a Steam account and Install both Steam and SteamVR on your PC, as well as Windows Mixed Reality for Steam VR. Download links and steps on how to install and use Steam VR with the Windows Mixed Reality controllers are available here.

Keep in mind that the SteamVR bridge for Windows Mixed Reality is a work in progress, so there will likely be performance and other issues. Noted by Microsoft here, you also can expect SteamVR to stay in early access for a while until developers have the chance to properly port their titles and experiment with Windows Mixed Reality.

Given that the Windows Store is not packed with VR content as of yet, this is a step forward towards making Windows Mixed Reality more mainstream. We’ll be experimenting with SteamVR in the weeks ahead, so be sure to keep tuned for more.