Microsoft previews new Windows Mixed Reality features with Insiders

Microsoft today announced a range of new Windows Mixed Reality features coming to Windows 10 with its upcoming spring update. Available for Insiders to test now as part of Windows 10 Insider preview build 17115, the additional features include a new Skyloft environment to explore, improved performance and haptic feedback for SteamVR games, and more.

Here's a look at what's new:

  • A brand-new environment. In October we mentioned that the Cliff House was the first of many environments you'll be able to enjoy in Windows Mixed Reality, and now we're rolling out the Skyloft for you to customize and expand your MR experience. You can navigate there by selecting Places on the Mixed Reality Start menu.
  • As requested, we've added haptic feedback to the motion controllers for SteamVR games!
  • We've improved performance in SteamVR games with significantly lower video RAM usage. We've also improved the performance of live video preview in the Mixed Reality Portal on desktop.
  • You can now take mixed reality photos directly from your controller by holding the Windows button and then tapping the trigger. This works across environments and apps except for capturing content protected with DRM.
  • The automatic performance settings have been updated to provide an optimized experience, and we've added a new setting to override the default in Settings > Mixed Reality > Headset display.
  • Setup now provides more detailed information about common compatibility issues with USB3.0 controllers and graphics cards.
  • Many more improvements that the team has been hard at work on!

WMR Skyloft

Windows 10's spring update, currently codenamed Redstone 4, doesn't yet have a release date, but Microsoft is starting to wind down development and shift its focus to the next big update, Redstone 5. However, if you're a Fast ring Insider with build 17115 installed, you can get an early preview of these new features on your Windows Mixed Reality headset now.