Microsoft No Longer Planning VR Support For Xbox One

At one point, Microsoft was thinking that virtual reality was a good idea, even going as far as to team up with Oculus at one point for unique Xbox experiences with it. But lately, it hasn't really given that much attention to the technology. And it's about to be lessened even further.

While speaking with GamesIndustry International, Microsoft chief marketing officer of gaming Mike Nichols confirmed that the company is no longer looking into virtual reality support for the Xbox One. "We don't have any plans specific to Xbox consoles in virtual reality or mixed reality," Nichols said. "Our perspective on it has been and continues to be that the PC is probably the best platform for more immersive VR and MR. As an open platform, it just allows faster, more rapid iteration. There are plenty of companies investing in it in the hardware side and the content side, or some combination therein. Obviously on phones, augmented reality is a good scenario as well that's going to grow. But as it relates to Xbox, no. Our focus is primarily on experiences you would play on your TV, and ultimately we'd like to make those experiences more broadly."

At one point, VR was a heavy focus for Microsoft's Project Scorpio, which would later become the Xbox One X. But now it appears that the attention is going more towards experiences directly on television, instead of using a headset like the PlayStation VR does. That could change in the future with the next Xbox model, but Nichols didn't make any comment on that.

Nichols also broke down the gamer-centric reach that the company has in mind, even if VR isn't included in the picture. "We want to reach gamers of all types. We want to reach gamers who are only on phones. We want to reach gamers who are only on PC, who are only on console, and mixes therein. And in order to do that, we need to make our content available across the relevant devices. And in some cases, we want to make content specific to a device, like we announced the Gears Pop game specifically for mobile. It is definitely a change in our approach, but it's a change in our approach that I think reflects consumer dynamics, technology, evolution... Frankly, consumers look increasingly at every form of entertainment. They expect it to play across many devices. There are some reasons why that's harder in gaming than other forms of entertainment, but I would still look at it as a really great vision to work towards, and that's what we're trying to do."

Will you miss VR? With great games like Forza Horizon 4 and Gears 5 on the way, we'll more than likely be fine.