Microsoft Introduces Cheaper, More Powerful VR Gear For Creators Update

Microsoft leads us to the age of virtual reality with these cheaper but more powerful VR headgear compared to the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

Virtual reality has been all the rage for the past years, with companies releasing new VR technology conference after conference. Microsoft, today, at the exclusive Microsoft event, announced two new pieces of exciting news for those who are eager to get their hands dirty with this new tech: the upcoming Creators Update for Windows and cheaper VR headgear.

Carrying the banner “3D for everyone,” Microsoft introduced several new flagship products to bring 3D technology closer to everyone in terms of accessibility and price. One of these exciting new updates is the Windows 10 Creators Update, which is all about capturing and creating all things 3D. Microsoft says about the Windows 10 Creators Update via their blog:

Coming as a free update early next year to the more than 400 million devices running Windows 10 and available to Windows Insiders this week, the Creators Update will bring 3D and mixed reality to everyone, empower every gamer to be a broadcaster, connect people faster to those they care about most, and much more.

With the Creators Update, you and the millions of other Windows 10 users will turn on your laptop and be able to start capturing in 3D, printing in 3D, creating in 3D, sharing in 3D, and experiencing mixed reality.

Microsoft has even prepared a very inspired video showcasing what the Windows 10 Creators Update can do and it looks so promising for the millions, indeed, of Microsoft users all over the globe. The video showcases how simple 3D could be starting from 3D Paint, a much-loved Windows application that’s now transcending the barriers of the two-dimension canvas, to envisioning a mixed reality world via the various VR gear that will complement the features of the Windows 10 Creators Update.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Itc5ihHDAnY

The HoloLens has been Microsoft’s flagship VR headgear since day one and it continues to push this product as the premium VR device for those who are serious about developing with 3D technology. Stuff goes more into detail about the HoloLens, which is a serious VR gear that is able to completely mix the physical reality and the virtual reality into one augmented reality (AR). The HoloLens, however, could be found a bit steep for those who just want to dabble with 3D, since the HoloLens costs as much as $7,829.

Although there are cheaper alternatives to the HoloLens like the competitions’ Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, Microsoft asserts that these alternatives are in fact not the most practical alternatives to the HoloLens. In fact, if you’d like a cheaper but even more powerful 3D gear than the Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive, a couple of companies are already developing 3D headgear accessories that will work well with Microsoft’s more down-to-earth mixed reality vision.

Upload VR reports that Terry Myerson, Microsoft Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group, said at the Microsoft event:

“These headsets will be the first and only to ship with inside-out, six degrees of freedom sensors. Unlike every other virtual reality headset in the market today this means there’ll be zero need for a separate room, zero need for a complicated setup. And while those other less immersive accessories today cost over $500, most of the time requiring a new, expensive device, we’re announcing today that these Creators Update accessories will start at just $299.”

It’s interesting to note that Microsoft has had a long-rooted connection with VR devices Oculus Rift and HTC Vive and it’s peculiar why the company is now downing these VR gears and introducing new third-party options to customers. But nevertheless, these cheaper new VR headsets Microsoft is so proud of have yet to have a release date or public product trials. We’ll have to wait for a bit more for that information.

Windows 3D: Inside Microsoft’s plan to bring 3D to everyone https://t.co/AKeS2qfhNy pic.twitter.com/LulVI23a74

— Mashable (@mashable) October 26, 2016

As of now, we’re at the edge of our seats for the Windows 10 Creators Update, coming free to Windows 10 devices come Spring 2017. But if you can’t sit out on VR any longer, you can always grab a pair of Oculus Rift at $599 or the HTC Vive for $799.

[Featured Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]