All Windows 10 PCs to Support HoloLens Next Year Microsoft will push a Windows 10 update that will allow any PC running the OS to support Windows Holographic shell.
By Don Reisinger •
This story originally appeared on PCMag
Every Windows 10 PC next year will support mixed reality, Microsoft announced at Intel's Developer Forum on Tuesday.
Some time next year, Microsoft will push out an update to Windows 10 that will allow any computer running the OS to support Windows Holographic shell, the platform that powers the company's HoloLens augmented reality headset.
"The Windows Holographic shell enables an entirely new experience for multi-tasking in mixed reality, blending 2D and 3D apps at the same time, while supporting a broad range of 6 degrees of freedom devices," Microsoft's EVP of the Windows and Devices Group, Terry Myerson, said in a blog post.
If you want to test this out, you're in luck. Earlier this month, Microsoft opened up HoloLens orders to the general public. But at $3,000 a pop, it's not cheap.
Microsoft and Intel are also working on a specification for mixed reality-ready PCs and head-mounted displays (HMDs) so that hardware partners can build a broad range of devices for consumers and business "We are working with several partners on the spec today, and plan to publicly release v1 of the spec at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community (WinHEC) conference in Shenzhen in December," Redmond said.
The announcement comes alongside Intel's own announcement on Tuesday that it's making a major push into virtual and augmented reality. The company's Project Alloy is a reference design that it believes, will be capable of more effectively meshing the virtual and real worlds together into a mixed-reality environmen and deliver "next-generation VR experiences," according to Intel CEO Brian Krzanich.
