IGN Italy reported that when testing the new Xbox Wireless Headset a prompt appeared on their Xbox Series X system indicating that their “VR headset” needs an update. This suggests that the Xbox Series X supports VR devices to some extent.
However, a Microsoft spokesperson says this is not the case. In a statement to IGN, the company says, “The copy of this error message is inaccurate due to a location bug. Virtual reality for the console is not a priority for us at this time.”
Source: Giovanni Marrelli, IGN Italy
Microsoft has been asked in the past if it will bring VR to the Xbox, but the company has been cool about the idea. Ahead of the Xbox Series X reveal in 2019, Phil Spencer said that Virtual reality is not one of its next-generation projects because “no one asks”.
Compare that to PlayStation, which was an early adopter of console VR, and was quite successful with its business to boot. The company recently announced a new VR headset for the PlayStation 5.
Meanwhile, Microsoft hasn’t fully exited the VR game, although most, if not all, of its efforts are entirely on the PC side. The Windows mixed reality platform works with VR games, and the HoloLens AR headset recently revealed a Pokemon demo created in partnership with Niantic using the Microsoft Mesh mixed reality platform.
So for now at least, Microsoft seems content to keep AR / VR on PC while focusing on other companies for its Xbox Series X hardware.
Matt TM Kim is editor-in-chief of IGN
