The number of big-name manufacturers getting into VR is going to increase substantially with the entry of Microsoft VR hardware partners, revealed on stage today at Microsoft’s hardware-focused event.
Terry Myerson, Microsoft executive VP of Windows and Devices took the stage today to announce that the company is partnering with HP, Lenovo, Dell, Asus, and Acer to make VR headsets as a part the new Windows 10 Creator’s Update.
The Creator’s Update will bring along with it a new 3D version of MS Paint, and an AR/VR accessible community library of 3D creations for both HoloLens and the upcoming Microsoft-supported VR headsets. The Creator’s Update will arrive in Spring of next year on all Windows 10 devices free of charge.
“These headsets will be the first and only to ship with inside-out, 6-degrees of freedom sensors. Unlike every other VR headset on the market today, it means there’ll be zero reason for a separate room, zero need for a complicated setup, and while those less immersive accessories today cost over $500—most of the time requiring a new, expensive device, we are announcing today that these Creator’s Update accessories start at just $299,” said Myerson.
It’s unsure at this time exactly what spec these VR headsets are trying to hit, or whether they will incorporate some form of true positional tracking or not, as ‘6-degrees of freedom, inside-out’ doesn’t quite cut the mustard when it comes to determining exactly what sort of room-scale ability the headsets will have, computer vision-based or otherwise. If Microsoft is aiming for the lower end of the PC hardware spectrum however, we’re sure to see lower screen resolutions at the very least.
This story is breaking. We’ll be updating as more information comes in.