December 28th, 2023 | Updated on November 4th, 2025
5 Takeaways:
- Strategic Shift Away from Windows Mixed Reality
- Limited Success and Inactivity
- Challenges Faced by Windows Mixed Reality Headsets
- Shift in Focus to HoloLens
- Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Reassessment
Microsoft has announced its decision to phase out Windows Mixed Reality from its operating system in a future update.
This deprecation encompasses the Mixed Reality Portal app and Windows Mixed Reality for Steam VR.
Although the company has not provided a specific timeline for this removal, it signals a strategic shift away from the virtual reality (VR) ecosystem.
Windows Mixed Reality, introduced in 2015 as Microsoft’s VR platform for Windows PCs, failed to gain substantial traction and has remained inactive for several years.
The platform saw integration with various headsets between 2017 and 2021, with mixed reviews.
Acer and HP versions, for instance, received average scores due to perceived “awkward quirks” and a lack of compelling content.
The decline of Windows Mixed Reality headsets can be attributed in part to the success of Steam VR, offering a more extensive game library and enhanced features.
The only remaining “Windows Mixed Reality” device in Microsoft’s current lineup is the HoloLens 2, as the anticipated HoloLens 3, initially expected in 2021, was canceled in early 2022.
This cancellation raised questions about the future of Microsoft’s mixed reality endeavors, despite reassurances from Alex Kipman, the leader of the division, who had previously stated that “HoloLens is doing great.”
The recent decision to remove Windows Mixed Reality from the operating system suggests a reevaluation of Microsoft’s approach to mixed reality technology.
