Microsoft today announced that it will open Windows Holographic, the platform that powers Microsoft HoloLens, to any virtual reality or augmented reality headset maker as the company hopes to play an important role in a “mixed reality world.”
In a blog post, Microsoft describes its vision for a world where people wearing VR headsets can interact with people using AR headsets — all of which are built on Windows Holographic.
From the post:
In a mixed reality world, devices can offer experiences that extend beyond the virtual world. Imagine wearing a VR device and seeing your physical hands as you manipulate an object, working on the scanned 3-D image of a real object, or bringing a real-life holographic representation of another person into your virtual world so you can collaborate. In this world, devices can spatially map your environment wherever you are; manipulating digital content is as easy and natural as it is in the real world.
Microsoft’s HoloLens device is classified as AR, which allows users to see holographic images combined with the physical world while they don a headset. VR devices like the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift, on the other hand, offer a more immersive “virtual” experience.
As ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley noted, many folks have referred to the HoloLens as “mixed reality.” But now, Microsoft is using that term to describe a world where both its own device and other virtual reality headsets can co-exist.
Regardless of AR vs. VR, Microsoft wants everybody building their technologies with Windows 10 on Windows Holographic. Here’s how Microsoft envisions the two technologies coming together in the real world:
