Microsoft is working on a Halo virtual reality experience for its Windows Mixed Reality platform. Developer 343 Industries, the studio responsible for overseeing Halo, has previously created demonstrations for the HoloLens augmented-reality headset that is still in early testing at Microsoft. But now, the 343 team is developing a Halo game that is among the first wave of content to hit the mixed reality fork of Windows as a full consumer product.
“The Halo Mixed Reality experience that was recently announced is not the same thing as our next Halo FPS experience,” a Microsoft spokesperson explained in a note to GamesBeat. “The majority of the 343 Industries team is now working on building the next great Halo FPS experience, and it’s going to be a while until we’re ready to talk more about that.”
Windows Mixed Reality is Microsoft’s attempt to “democratize” virtual reality so that any head-mounted display has access to any piece of VR software.
In an official blog post, Microsoft explained that it is partnering with outside firms as well as its internal teams to bring AR and VR experiences to consumers. To highlight what is on the way, the company included an image featuring a number of brands and games that will hit the Windows Store over the next several months. That image includes apps like the online social VR hub Rec Room, the slow-motion ninja simulator Super Hot, and the video-distribution platform Hulu. But Halo is one of the names that stood out the most.
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Above: Halo among other brands that Microsoft is promising for its Mixed Reality platform.
“It’s my pleasure to let you know that we are working with 343 Industries to bring future Halo experiences into mixed reality,” Microsoft technical fellow Alex Kipman wrote in a blog. “We are not providing specifics right now, but it is going to be a lot of fun to work with them.”
https://youtu.be/QK_fOFDHj0g
In addition to Halo, Microsoft revealed that it has worked with Valve software to ensure that anything bought through Steam will also function with the Windows Mixed Reality headsets. Essentially, VR gaming should work like standard gaming. No matter what monitor or HMD you buy, your games will run on them no matter where you get them from.
Updated August 29 at 4:00 p.m. with more info about how this related to the next full Halo game.
