Microsoft and Meta’s Collaborative Leap into Mixed Reality
In a significant move to enhance the user experience for Windows 11, Microsoft has announced a partnership with Meta during its recent Ignite press conference. This collaboration aims to integrate the full capabilities of Windows 11 into mixed reality headsets, starting with the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S. This development comes as a response to the growing popularity of Apple’s Vision Pro, which has garnered attention for its seamless connectivity with Mac devices, allowing users to utilize it as a large external monitor.
However, it’s important to note that while this partnership promises exciting advancements, it does not imply that users will be able to replace their PCs entirely with VR headsets. The focus remains on streaming capabilities. The new headset will facilitate a virtual multi-monitor workstation, which is a notable enhancement compared to the Vision Pro’s single-monitor setup. To utilize this feature, users will need to connect to either their own Windows 11 PC or a cloud-based Windows 365 instance.
Microsoft assures that the connection process will be quick, claiming it will only take “seconds” to establish a link. This improvement is expected to surpass current third-party solutions such as Virtual Desktop and even Meta’s Horizon Workrooms. Although specific details regarding the connection process remain under wraps, Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a simplified approach during this year’s Meta Connect conference, stating that Quest users would soon only need to “look at their keyboard” to connect to a PC, eliminating the need for additional software installations. A video released by Microsoft supports this assertion, showcasing the ease of connection.
While the anticipation builds, certain specifics about the number of monitors supported and potential resolution compromises remain unclear. However, with a public preview slated for December, further insights are expected shortly. Additionally, Microsoft has yet to address Volumetric Apps, a feature unveiled at the Build conference in May. This innovative capability would allow users to stream Windows to a Quest headset, enabling them to view specific assets in 3D, provided the application in use supports it. A demonstration showcased a user extracting a 3D model of an Xbox controller from their virtual Windows monitor, allowing for an interactive inspection in full 3D space, including the ability to disassemble the model for a closer look at its internal components. Given the lack of mention in the recent announcements, it appears that Volumetric Apps may not be available at the initial launch.
