Windows 11 Mixed Reality support revived for Meta Quest 3, Quest 3S headsets

Official render of Windows 11 Mixed Reality viewed through a Meta Quest headset. (Image credit: Microsoft)

Yesterday, Microsoft announced an unexpected revival of its retired Mixed Reality feature, which was deprecated in every official way apart from for HoloLens back in December of last year. This Mixed Reality revival for Windows 11, though, will be limited to current and upcoming Meta Quest headsets, specifically the Meta Quest 3 and Meta Quest 3S for now. The three features Microsoft flaunts for this integration are "Immersive and private productivity", "Windows 365 Cloud PCs," and "Easy PC connection." The latter is self-explanatory, and the first two relate to the ability to navigate and use Windows 11 via virtual Mixed Reality monitors— the difference being whether you're using your own PC or opt to pay for a Windows 365 Cloud PC that can be used remotely from your headset, instead.

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It's nice to see Mixed Reality return in some form, even if it's limited to this so-called "Mixed Reality Link" that only works with Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S, for whatever reason. Microsoft's insistence on deprecating the full feature while other VR and AR headsets equipped with the requisite cameras still exist seems a bit pre-emptive, but especially questionable now that the company is, in fact, willing to maintain the feature for select hardware manufacturers.

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Again, the larger Windows Mixed Reality program was deprecated in December 2023, after about six years of operation. This status for the wider Windows Mixed Reality program is unchanged, and may never change if Microsoft never sees an incentive to extend Mixed Reality Link beyond its partnership with Meta. While it lasted, Windows Mixed Reality certainly had some promise— it just seemingly wasn't drawing customers in and of itself in the same way that other VR hardware offerings were, particularly at the entry-level, dominated by Oculus (now absorbed into Meta), and at the high-end, dominated by HTC and Valve.

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Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.

3 Comments Comment from the forums

rluker5

Well that is kind of cheap.
At least my Windows mixed reality headset also was.
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AkroZ

The announce said "starting with Meta Quest 3 and Quest 3S", it didn't said that others hardwares will not work. But it's true that this preview is restricted.
Normally Microsoft should add the functionality to Windows API and all constructors will be able to update their drivers.
What is concerning is that Microsoft developped the API only with Meta, precedents API were developped with all the major actors of the market, by example new versions of Direct3D are defined with NVidia and AMD.
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emike09

Old article, sorry, but I must post my complaints. It's incredibly frustrating that WMR isn't supported anymore on 24H2+ for dedicated WMR headsets. My HP Reverb G2 is completely useless in 24H2 and has been rendered a paperweight. The comfort and visual quality of the Reverb is superior to the Quest 3, and it's a 5-year-old headset.

My biggest gripe is the outride killing of the feature. Not just deprecating and leaving it alone but specifically killing it. Hundreds of thousands of WMR headsets instantly destroyed by programming and money. There was no reason to not just leave it alone and abandon it, besides the fact that Microsoft and Meta partnered up. I can still run many W95 programs, but now I suddenly can't run a still modern headset.

This is frustrating beyond all means. Keep legacy features there or update the app to allow them to continue functioning instead of forcing massive e-waste because of a partnership.
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