Microsoft engineer revives Windows Mixed Reality headsets with native SteamVR support on Windows 11 24H2

Last year, Microsoft inexplicably rendered thousands of virtual reality headsets useless as the company pulled support for the Windows Mixed Reality platform. Those who were still using a Windows Mixed Reality headset would find that their device no longer works when updating to Windows 11 version 24H2.

While it made some sense for Microsoft to end support for the Windows Mixed Reality platform, it didn't make sense to render the headsets entirely useless along with it. These headsets were still entirely capable devices, and worked very well with third-party platforms like SteamVR.

Rest assured, a lone Microsoft employee by the name of Matthieu Bucchianeri has done the hard work for Microsoft, and reverse engineered a driver he calls "Oasis" that restores functionality to these Windows Mixed Reality headsets on Windows 11 version 24H2 and above.

The driver re-enables the headsets for use with SteamVR, offering full headset and motion controller tracking with a native SteamVR rendering pipeline. Because it bypasses the old Windows Mixed Reality platform, it does not require the Windows Mixed Reality portal to be installed.

Bucchianeri is a principle firmware engineering manager at Microsoft, and previously worked on the Mixed Reality team and on HoloLens, so if anyone was going to do it, it makes sense that Bucchianeri stepped up to the challenge. He says the Oasis driver is a "deep reverse-engineering" effort that involved "a combination of luck and perseverance."

Because of the nature of Bucchianeri's employment, he says the driver will not be open sourced as to avoid any potential NDA breaches. The driver is free and available to download directly through Steam, and should work with any Windows Mixed Reality headset.

I tested the driver with an old HP Mixed Reality device, and can confirm that it works as advertised on Windows 11 version 24H2 and Windows 11 version 25H2. The process for enabling the headset and controllers for use on these newer versions of Windows is straightforward, requiring the peripherals to be disconnected and reconnected to "unlock" the headsets for use with SteamVR.

From there, just download SteamVR through the Steam client and launch it. The Windows Mixed Reality headset and controllers should be picked up as a native SteamVR headset, and you'll be able to run any SteamVR games and apps of your choosing.

Unfortunately, the driver only works with PCs powered by NVIDIA graphics. Bucchianeri says this is due to features that are missing in the AMD and Intel graphics drivers. It sounds like this isn't something that can be addressed on Bucchianeri's end.

So, if you've got an old Windows Mixed Reality headset lying around that you've retired because Microsoft pulled support for it on Windows 11 version 24H2, and a PC with an NVIDIA graphics card, it's time to dust it off and give it a try with SteamVR. Valve's VR platform is far richer compared to the Windows Mixed Reality platform, with thousands of games and apps available in the Steam Store that weren't available on Microsoft's.

There are some known issues with the driver that you might want to check out before you attempt to install, but the overall experience works surprisingly well.

The life and death of Windows Mixed Reality

Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality platform first launched in 2017, and would be included on all Windows 10 PCs. It required special Windows Mixed Reality hardware from OEMs like Dell, HP, and Lenovo, and was built on a similar platform as HoloLens, featuring the same interface and app platform.

The platform existed until 2023, when Microsoft announced the deprecation and removal of the Windows Mixed Reality platform with the Windows 11 version 24H2 update. Unfortunately, the removal of the platform also rendered the headsets inoperable.

Microsoft also ended production on HoloLens around the same time, marking a disappointing end to Microsoft's mixed reality efforts. The Oasis driver is a saving grace for anyone with an older Windows Mixed Reality headset that wants to continue using it to play the latest VR games from Steam or via OpenXR!

What are your thoughts on the Oasis driver for Windows Mixed Reality headsets? Will this encourage you to jump back into VR gaming on Windows 11? Let us know in the comments.

via UploadVR