Microsoft is partnering with leading device makers including 3Glasses, Lenovo, HP, Dell ASUS and Acer on a wide range of budget headsets that pair with Windows Mixed Reality-ready PCs. Starting this month, the company will begin to ship to its developer partners the headsets created in partnership with Acer.
Microsoft Mixed Reality Developer Edition Headsets
According to Windows blog, the new Acer Windows Mixed Reality Developer Edition headsets were announced on Wednesday, Mar. 1, at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. The gadgets will start shipping to selected developers by end of the month. There is no need to purchase or install external trackers or sensors in the wall, since these are the first mixed reality headsets to deliver built-in inside-out tracking. Moreover, they are just plug and play, so users won't need to bother with a complicated setup.
Microsoft has announced that, in the coming months, game developers who attended its Windows Mixed Reality session at GDC will receive the Acer developer edition headset. This is part of the company's strategy to empower even more developers to create in mixed reality. When the developer kits begin to roll out this month, they will include documentation and access to the software development kit (SDK) and to Windows 10 Insider preview builds, as well as the Acer headset, in order to enable developers to create mixed reality applications.
Acer Windows Mixed Reality Development Edition Headset's Features
According to Computerworld, the new Windows mixed reality budget headsets are supposed to stand out from the crowd because of their support for "inside-out" tracking and their lower price. The company also plans to expand the Windows Mixed Reality experiences beyond Microsoft HoloLens and desktop. Mixed reality content will be available to Microsoft Xbox One family of devices, including Project Scorpio.
The Acer Windows Mixed Reality Development Edition headset will include built-in audio out and microphone support through 3.5 mm jack, as well as two high-resolution liquid crystal displays at 1440 x 1440 with a native display refresh rate up to 90 Hz. USB 3.0 data cable for connectivity and single cable with HDMI 2.0 for display are also included in the package.
