Microsoft’s Ignite event has just brought us an exciting bit of news in the VR gaming world, which is that the company plans to fully bring Windows to the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S mixed reality headsets.
The Quest 3 has become a dominant stalwart in the mixed reality space already, as combining both virtual and augmented reality gives you the best of both worlds. Following up on that, the new Meta Quest 3S brings a cheaper option over last year’s model. In our Meta Quest 3S review, we called it an excellent budget VR headset, and now you’ll soon be able to use it in Windows.
In this latest announcement, Microsoft says it plans to bring the “full capabilities” of Windows 11 to the headsets. At a basic level, this means you’ll be able to connect the Quest 3 to your PC or a streamed instance of Windows from the 365 service and get the regular experience. The company claims that it takes “seconds” to connect the headset to Windows.
The move is planned for December and will bring options including the ability to use multiple monitors, and eventually Volumetric Apps. These were shown off in May, with a 3D design app shown interacting with a render of an Xbox controller. The user then expands it outwards so they can see all the inner workings.
While this went into developer preview earlier this year, it still hasn’t had an announced date attached to it. Microsoft has prior experience in the mixed reality space, with its Hololens and batch of headsets from 2017. These were developed by companies such as Lenovo, HP, and Asus. As with a lot of other Microsoft initiatives, this was abandoned and Windows Mixed Reality is set to be completely removed from Windows 11.
A lot of PC players have already found a ton of success in using Steam Link with the Meta Quest 3, though. The updated hardware and video passthrough means they can display their game to their headset for a more immersive experience. Microsoft also brought Xbox Game Pass app to the Quest 3, to stream its ever-growing library of games.
With the full backing of Microsoft, it further solidifies why we’ve deemed the Meta Quest 3 the best VR headset on the market so far. Check out our Meta Quest 3 review for more detail.