Report: Microsoft Has Put Development of an Xbox VR Headset on Hold

A report has surfaced claiming Microsoft has recently put plans for a VR headset for Xbox on hold just before making an official announcement.

Citing sources close to the matter, CNET has a write-up on Microsoft’s original plans to bring the world of virtual reality to Xbox, claiming the company put work on the technology on the backburner earlier this year. According to the sources, the specs for the device weren’t widely known, but were considered “good,” but not on par with the Oculus Rift’s screen quality.

One of the reasons Microsoft has pulled back resources on VR is reportedly due to lack of viability for wireless headsets. Rivaling headsets such as the PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift, and HTC Vive all require wires to work with their hardware, while wireless adapters cost are expensive, and seen as a major addition to an already costly and prohibitive market.

CNET reports that the decision to hold off on further development “wasn’t much of a surprise” to Microsoft’s partners and those who’d been briefed on the device internally, as the company had been mostly operating in a non-committal supporting role as Sony, Facebook, and HTC have been actively developing consumer VR products in the still niche market.

As of August 2018, Sony has sold 3 million PlayStation VR units since the device’s launch in October 2016, with over 21.9 million games for the system being sold in that time. With the PlayStation 4 having sold over 82 million units worldwide, this means PSVR has an attach rate of roughly 4% of all PS4 owners.

Meanwhile, HTC has released an updated Vive called Vive Pro, which launched in April.

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