Microsoft’s Windows Hybrid Reality Head Display Device has begun to be shipped to developers, but for users, the system is incomplete only with Head Display and no motion control handle. Although this control is not the most beautiful in design, it has an impressive function, that is, as a full-featured controller, it does not need any fixed external tracker to cooperate with, just need the camera on the virtual reality device.
At present, the biggest advantage of Windows hybrid reality is convenience. It only needs to connect a head display device to allow the internal camera to track its movement without additional hardware support, making it more flexible and portable, but still needs to be connected to the PC.
Although many companies are developing such internal tracking products, few companies are as good as Microsoft.
Hybrid reality head-display devices are accurate and smooth to use, and this experience has never been seen in other products. Windows Hybrid Reality is also the first major platform to adopt an in-out tracking head display device with a controller.
It uses an LED tracking system similar to Oculus Touch.
Its controller works well, at least in several demonstration environments provided by Microsoft. Microsoft offers about six apps and game clips for user experience, each of which feels good. Some of them are simple to use, thermostatic element such as HoloTour, HoloLens travel application, and some more mature game models, including Space Pirate Trainer, Superhot VR and Arizona Sunshine.
The controller can track almost all the actions in the game. Imagine that if users use it at home, they can accomplish their tasks well without external trackers. If you’re interested in virtual reality games, that’s probably what you want.
Windows Hybrid Reality Platform will work with Steam and will hopefully become an alternative to Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, because games on these platforms require really powerful computing power. For some less demanding applications, such as HoloTour, and on a PC integrated with a graphics card, even at a frame rate of 60 fps, the effect is still acceptable.
The hybrid reality of Windows is now less advantageous than it was a year ago, especially considering that motion controllers have become an integral part of the platform. But Microsoft and its partners still offer some unique features and powerful hardware, and we hope to see more.