Microsoft depreciating the apps that make their VR headsets function

[BL00DW0LF]

 

 

Summary

Announced this month, the software for Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) VR headsets will be depreciated.  This includes the native Windows Mixed Reality Portal app, and the SteamVR apps.  It's currently unclear if existing/alternative software will be available, or if the headsets and controllers will be paperweights.

 

Quotes

Quote

"Windows Mixed Reality is deprecated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. This deprecation includes the Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta."

Quote

"Windows Mixed Reality was Microsoft's attempt at building out a VR ecosystem for Windows PCs..."

"While there have been several VR headsets built for Windows Mixed Reality, most of them launched between 2017 and 2021"

My thoughts

This story is still fresh, so more details will likely come out over the next few days as reporters question for more info.  It's possible that current versions of Windows (Win 10, Win 11) will maintain the app(s) if already downloaded, but future major editions won't.  I have a WMR headset myself, as it was one of the cheaper options when I was looking to get into VR years ago. It enabled me to have a decent desktop VR experience, and I even got some third party prescription lens inserts for myself.   The Microsoft WMR team seemed passionate - for a long time, even on communities like Reddit, whenever someone posted with an issue, a Microsoft team member would frequently appear in the threads....but Microsoft laid off most/all of their Mixed/Virtual reality teams in January this year.  Technology losing software support and losing functions is unfortunately too common.  There are likely going to be headsets stocked in a lot of places, and consumers won't know there's an expiration date on them.

 

Sources

Primary source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/deprecated-features
First reporting: https://www.windowscentral.com/software-apps/windows-11/microsoft-is-killing-its-windows-vr-platform-announces-deprecation-of-windows-mixed-reality

[emosun]

That's so unlike Microsoft to brick something that's functional

[da na]

yet for some reason the app will still automatically install on every new Windows installation

[Beerzerker]

8 minutes ago, da na said:

yet for some reason the app will still automatically install on every new Windows installation

Just like Nvidia HD audio drivers will, even if you uninstall them and also disable the audio hardware itself in Windows.
It just keeps setting all that back up again.
It's like What part of "I don't want that shit" do you not understand MS/Nvidia?

So I instead use an adapter that lets me use the card but doesn't provide a connection for any audio from the card to the monitor.

I'd have to say if you have these devices and can archive the driver/software for it, do it now if you believe it will make any difference at all.

[Needfuldoer]

"It wasn't an immediate, runaway smash hit, so therefore it has no value and needs to be defenestrated at the nearest opportunity."

 

Sometimes I hate the tech industry.

 

Watch Apple take over this market niche with their magic ski goggle things.

[Thaldor]

My educated guess is that the development stopped months ago and Microsoft is burying the feature and all their hopes for VR/MR/XR future. Most likely biggest things for this are that Microsoft really wasn't interested from the market especially after Facebook just ate most of it, sales figures weren't there compared to the development costs and then the pretty well flopped Hololens 2 (seriously, $3500 + $125 per month for company license per device or $99 per month for single developer, not to include the pretty awful plexi glass AR that after the initial hype, everyone wanted rid off because it is bad compared to camera+screens AR (main problem is that everything is transparent the projector technology just isn't there yet to get good vibrant images.

 

But this doesn't mean your WMR headset will stop working.

Do notice that the features are being "deprecated" not "removed". The difference being that deprecated features won't be shipping with Windows but they also are in end of their lives and so no new updates and no official support. Most likely these features will be still installed more or less automatically when WMR headset is connected to Windows and they won't be automatically removed from systems (so those who don't want them can remove them and they won't be coming back automatically).

[Wh0_Am_1]

Well here is a small reason to stay on Windows 10, Windows mixed reality won't be auto uninstalled until a year after the Win 10 bites the dust (Nov 1 2026 vs Oct 14th 2025).... yeah after this I am just swapping to Linux, if they are just going to brick my HP Reverb G2 Omnicept Edition I see no reason to stay on Windows.