If Windows Mixed Reality sounds like your idea of a fun time, rejoice: Microsoft announced on Tuesday during Microsoft Ignite 24 that it will bring the "full experience" of Windows 11 to the Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S during a public preview in December.
"The full experience" in this context means being able to access your local Windows PC or a cloud-based Windows instance (via Windows 365) from your Quest headset. Microsoft says it takes just "seconds" to connect, and likens the experience to a "private, high-end, large multi-monitor workstation." We'll let you be the judge. Applications supported by this new Windows modality will extend into 3D space, a capability offered by what Microsoft calls volumetric applications.
During a demo in May, Microsoft showed off a digital exploded view of an Xbox controller from the perspective of a Quest 3 owner, an object that the owner could manipulate in their hands. Developers can sign up to access an API that allows them to create plugins for new or existing 3D Windows desktop apps.
Microsoft has already teased Windows content for Quest in 2022, announcing a partnership with Meta to bring certain Windows apps, including Microsoft Teams, to Meta headsets. Last December, Microsoft brought Microsoft 365 productivity features for Word, Excel and PowerPoint to the Quest, as well as Xbox Cloud Gaming, its video game streaming service, to the hardware.
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