In a bittersweet announcement, Microsoft has officially signaled the end of the road for its Windows Mixed Reality platform. The software, along with the Mixed Reality Portal and SteamVR app, will soon be removed from Windows as Microsoft shifts its virtual reality focus.
Launched with optimism in 2017, Windows Mixed Reality was Microsoft’s play to compete with the likes of Oculus and HTC in delivering shared immersive experiences. But despite initial fanfare, adoption never quite took off as hoped.
This isn’t the end of MR at Microsoft though. Even as Mixed Reality gets put out to pasture, work continues on the more business-centric HoloLens 2 headset with upgrades for Windows 11 and beyond. However, rumors suggest development has ceased on a consumer follow-up.
