Xbox Project Scorpio Release Date News: No VR for E3 2017, According to Microsoft
Xbox Project Scorpio will not include a virtual reality (VR) experience in next week's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). This is coming from Microsoft who explained that the company is currently focusing on VR technology for computers.
Along with the Xbox One, the upcoming console will not be getting any virtual love this year. This is despite Microsoft's major competitor Sony already releasing their own VR for consoles.
The primary reason, according to Microsoft technical fellow, Alex Kipman, is the focus on bringing that technology first to Microsoft's bread and butter — PCs, or more specifically the Windows 10 operating system (OS), is the company's main business; so, it would be their top priority.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"Our primary focus is making our mixed reality experiences a success on Windows 10 PCs," says Kipman in an interview with Polygon. "We believe that right now a Windows PC is the best platform for mixed reality as its open ecosystem and enormous installed base offer the best opportunity for developers, and Windows offers the most choices for consumers."
Microsoft sees the development of mixed reality — a mix of augmented reality and VR, in PCs as the first stage in developing VR technology for their consoles. Xbox chief Phil Spencer described Project Scorpio as an Xbox One that can natively run games in 4K and support the high-end VR currently happening in the PC space.
VR technology is expected to come to Microsoft's console as early as next year. The company announced back in March that they are planning to bring mixed reality to the "Xbox One family of devices" in 2018. However, there has been no word regarding the exact date since then.
While there will be no VR component in Microsoft's E3 2017 press conference, Project Scorpio will still get most of the limelight. And at this point, seeing the "world's most powerful console" in action will probably be enough for gamers.
