Petition: Windows Mixed Reality should be open source, not deprecated

We reported earlier that Microsoft will discontinue Windows Mixed Reality from Windows 11, version 24H2, and the feature will reach End of Life (EoL) in Nov’26. It now appears that the decision wasn’t well received by the community.

There’s a petition on Change.org doing rounds urging Microsoft to make the Windows Mixed Reality VR Platform an open-source project to let developers improve the functionality and keep it alive!

The petition states two critical reasons for making Windows Mixed Reality open-sourced:

• It will maintain a healthy diversity in the market.
• Significant amount of electronic waste will be generated in the form of discarded WMR devices. A similar concern is raised regarding Microsoft dropping support for Windows 10.

Created on February 14, 2024, the petition has already garnered 629 signatures at the time of writing and has an initial goal of 1000.

The number is expected to increase in the coming days, given that many who invested in WMR-supported devices are enraged with the decision. We came across multiple Reddit threads where users shared similar concerns.

However, your WMR headsets won’t stop working right away. As per Microsoft’s official page,

Existing Windows Mixed Reality devices will continue to work with Steam through November 2026, if users remain on their current released version of Windows 11, version 23H2. After November 2026, Windows Mixed Reality will no longer receive security updates, nonsecurity updates, bug fixes, technical support, or online technical content updates.

So, to continue using your WMR devices with Steam until Nov’26, you will have to permanently disable Windows updates and stay with the currently installed version.

This does put the PC at risk, given that it wouldn’t receive any updates in the time frame. It’s something Microsoft should address!

After Nov’26, when Microsoft stops releasing security updates for Windows Mixed Reality, it will become vulnerable and prone to threats, and you will have to be a lot more cautious.

Coming to whether this or any other similar petition will make Microsoft change its decision, the chances are bleak. Windows Mixed Reality wasn’t a profitable venture and offered limited capabilities.

The decision to deprecate WMR doesn’t affect HoloLens. Microsoft remains committed to it.

If you, too, want Windows Mixed Reality to remain available, sign the petition and show your support! And do not forget to share your thoughts on the decision in the comments section.