Earlier this year, Microsoft announced its
Windows Holographic program and collaborated with several industry tech giants who would make their own mixed reality headsets under Microsoft's platform at affordable pricing. While companies like
Lenovo and Acer have already showcased their own MR headsets, Microsoft is now willing to take this experience further.
At the ongoing Microsoft Build Conference 2017, the company announced its cool new motion controllers with some interesting features and would work with its mixed reality headsets.
Windows VR Motion Controllers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nlcdDNOdm8
As said earlier, the Windows VR motion controllers will be compatible with all the headsets developed with the Windows Holographic program. As we can see in the video above, the Windows VR controllers combine the design element of both Vive controllers and Oculus Touch and thus hosts a thumbpad and a touchpad for seamless control. Moreover, as the MR headsets have got inside-out tracking, these motion controllers don't need any external peripheral devices and will help with optical tracking with a ring of tracking LEDS.
The great thing about the new Microsoft motion controllers is that by using the headset's built-in sensors, the controllers can offer a 6 DoF tracking within the sensors field of view. The company has said that it would soon bring an additional sensor technology which would extend the controllers' tracking beyond the headset's FOV.
However, Microsoft has clarified that it would leave it to its respective headset partners to decide whether to bundle these motion controllers with their headsets. The computing giant has currently teamed up with Acer to sell the Acer MR Headset + Windows VR Motions Controllers at a price of $399.
Image credit: Microsoft
An
additional announcement which comes from Microsoft is that HP and Acer both have kept their MR headsets for
pre-order starting at $299. The standalone Acer headset is priced at $299 while the HP headset is priced slightly higher at $329. Though the current listing on the Microsoft website shows it to be a developer edition, the company has clarified that the consumer versions will be the same. The consumer version is expected to be made available by December 2017.
