Ever since the initial announcement of Project Scorpio, speculation has been rife over if the upcoming console would support virtual reality (VR). Early indications were that a VR platform for the upgrades Xbox One was one the way, but new information indicates that Microsoft is intending to be using Windows PCs for its VR efforts for the foreseeable future.
With console rival Sony having its own VR platform in the shape of the PlayStation VR, and Microsoft themselves branching into VR with the upcoming Windows 10 mixed reality headsets, along with the HoloLens, it seemed like only a matter of time until Xbox got its own version of a VR headset, especially since Microsoft announce Project Scorpio as being ‘VR ready’ when it was announced. However, the Xbox One X presentation at E3 said nothing about VR capabilities, and mention of VR support was removed from the Xbox One X page on the Xbox website.
Gamespot recently spoke to Microsoft General Manager Dave McCarthy, said that Microsoft were using a deliberate strategy when it came to the Xbox One X and VR, and that Windows PCs were the focus of what Microsoft wanted to achieve when it came to VR and augmented reality (AR).
“Our focus right now is admittedly on the PC space,” McCarthy said. “So we look at Windows 10, we see an open ecosystem for developers. We see a huge installed base of half a billion monthly active devices on Windows 10. And we say that feels like the right area of focus right now [for VR/AR].
McCarthy went one to say that VR was still searching for the ‘Killer app’: “I would say developers are still finding their way to define the killer experience there, which is great at this point in its evolution overall,” McCarthy said. “We believe in it enough that we have several of our first-party studios actually working on content for our Windows 10 devices. We’ll have more to talk about later this year on that.”
VRFocus will bring you further news on Microsoft’s VR projects as it becomes available.