Microsoft’s Xbox One X reveal was certainly well received. Formerly known as Project Scorpio, the world’s most powerful videogame console is set to launch this November, priced at $499 USD. However, despite Microsoft assuring us at last year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) that the console would be virtual reality (VR) compatible, there was no confirmation of exactly when or how this would happen.
Microsoft stated before the conference that there wouldn’t be any VR to speak of at their pre-E3 press conference this year, however hopes remained high that something would be said about the previously hinted Oculus Rift and HTC Vive compatibility, if not an option to use a Windows 10 Holographic head-mounted display (HMD). However, there was none of this. Not one word, or even a mention of the acronym.
So is Xbox One X going to be VR compatible? Well, probably. It’s most likely that it just wasn’t on Microsoft’s priorities list. After all, despite the huge enthusiasm for VR and rapidly growing audience for the medium, it’s not going to sell consoles in the same way as a new Assassin’s Creed title or Forza Motorsport 7. Instead, it’s likely that we’ll see confirmation of the agenda a little further down the road to launch.
There were a number of hints that VR remains part of the roadmap. A small number of titles with VR compatibility featured in the ID@Xbox trailer that was showcased – including Battlerite and ARK: Survival Evolved – and Playful Corp.’s Lucky’s Tale franchise is making the jump to Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, under the guise of Super Lucky’s Tale, but no VR features have yet been announced for the title. Each of these can be seen in the video below.
In last year’s pre-E3 presentation, Phil Spencer, CEO at Xbox, wrapped-up the show by stating, “This is hardware built specifically to lead the console industry into true 4K gaming and high fidelity VR. True 4K visuals without sacrificing quality, premier VR experiences without sacrificing performance.”
So, now that we have seen the console, where is that promised VR?
The truth is that Microsoft’s efforts to ignore VR aren’t likely to hurt the Xbox One X at present, but rather keep the door open for more conversation. VRFocus will continue to follow all the latest developments in the Xbox One X’s VR story, reporting back with the latest details.