Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality platform is finally adding support for SteamVR games - but in the form of a preview program at first.
Windows Mixed Reality is a combination of VR and AR, though much of the experience is what you'd expect from VR: you wear a headset, then watch the screen in front of your eyes, and have your movements tracked so you can move around the virtual world. But these headsets have front-mounted cameras, which allow for either real world objects in your virtual world or virtual objects in the real world.
Microsoft partnered with several manufacturers on headsets, including Acer, HP, Asus, Dell, Lenovo, and Samsung. They're all supposed to be affordable, too, with prices starting at $299. Anyway, Microsoft revealed earlier this year that Steam titles will work in mixed reality. Now, the company has announced to Rolling Stone that users will get access to those titles - SteamVR apps and games - next week.
- Microsoft's Mixed Reality event: All the announcements that matter
- Microsoft will now release major Windows 10 updates twice a year
- Windows 10 S is a streamlined version of Windows for education
A preview program for SteamVR titles will launch on 15 November, allowing headset owners to test out games while Microsoft fixes bugs. When support is officially added, all Windows Mixed Reality users will be able to access and play games from the Steam store. This will open Microsoft’s headsets to a tonne more titles. Currently, they only have access to around 60 apps and games from the Windows Store.
There's no word yet when support for SteamVR will be officially available to the general public, but we'll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out Pocket-lint's in-depth guide on Windows Mixed Reality for more information about the platform and how it works.