Microsoft held (and streamed) a major event on the future of Windows 10 today, at which they revealed a new line of affordable VR headsets.
Which games should you play with a VR headset? Here’s a list of the best VR games on PC.
The first wave of consumer VR headsets has rolled out, but our options on PC are eye-wateringly expensive at $599 for the Oculus Rift or $799 for HTC Vive, not to mention the cost of the rig you’ll need to run them.
Microsoft aims to change that, announcing a new generation of VR headsets made with the help of third-party partners such as Acer, Asus, Lenovo, HP and Dell, many of whom are already working in VR to some degree.
These headsets will be “the first and only to ship with inside-out six degrees of freedom sensors”, says Terry Myerson, executive VP of Windows and devices. This means they will have no need of a complicated setup, such as the laser sensors of the Vive. Crucially, prices will also start at $299 US.
There was a demo of the consumer applications of virtual reality, with an app called Holotour that enables users to travel the world in VR. There was no gaming demonstration, so details on what Microsoft is bringing to the VR gaming scene are still sketchy. It probably involves Minecraft, though.
Microsoft has been conspicuously absent from the VR scene, despite its major rival in the console market, Sony, having already launched a headset of its own. Microsoft has instead placed an early bet on augmented or mixed reality, with its Hololens headset.
You can watch the webcaston-demand at Microsoft. The headset announcement happens at around 37 minutes and 34 seconds. There’s also plenty more about creating in 3D on Surface books, if that’s your thing.