Despite these seemingly major changes, Microsoft hasn’t entirely abandoned VR. The company is focusing on other applications, such as its Microsoft Mesh app, that allows co-workers to meet and collaborate in a virtual space without needing VR headsets. Additionally, Microsoft’s partnership with Meta to let Quest users access Office apps and its Xbox Cloud Gaming platform seems to still be going steady.
While Windows Mixed Reality in its current form has effectively come to an end, the platform’s underlying technology and partnerships could live on in other forms. As Microsoft refines its VR strategy, it’s clear that the focus is shifting towards enterprise applications, collaboration, and interoperability across different VR platforms.
Microsoft’s move also has repercussions for developers who had invested time and resources in creating content and applications for the Mixed Reality platform. The abrupt cessation of support raises questions about the fate of existing applications and whether they will continue to be compatible with future Windows updates.
In addition to Windows Mixed Reality, other features that Microsoft has stopped working on include Microsoft Defender Application Guard for Edge, Legacy console mode, and Windows speech recognition.
