You’ll soon have a lot more use for your VR headset when it comes to general use and productivity. Microsoft announced at its Build conference recently that it was partnering with Meta to bring “volumetric apps” to Quest headsets.

The company’s annual Build conference is an event aimed primarily at software developers and adjacent IT folk. These conferences usually see Microsoft announce new technologies, tools and other innovations for developers to make use of.

At Build 2024 Microsoft announced it was officially making the Windows operating system a “first-class experience on Quest devices”. This will be done by allowing Windows applications to be “extended” into Virtual Reality. This will let Meta Quest 3 take on the Apple Vision Pro head on.This, to me, is quite exciting news. Windows is the most used desktop operating system in the world. It has a market share of over 70%. Bringing official VR support to this many people should hopefully help the XR industry grow. Something I root for continuously.Not many details are known at the moment about this partnership, however. What apps will be supported and how they will function in VR is unknown. However, this means Meta Quest headsets can now directly take on the Vision Pro in the work productivity department. Something Apple heavily markets for its headset.

What I’m not as fond of is the term “volumetric apps”. Each company using a different phrase for VR apps is just going to confuse newcomers. Besides, I think Apple’s “spatial computing” just sounds a lot better.

Wear this in the office and procrastinate in private! | Image credit — PhoneArena

The Apple Vision Pro seamlessly integrates with macOS and lets users work in VR. So Microsoft’s partnership with Meta will mean a more affordable way to do the same. Most likely with more options because of less restrictions on Windows, though that remains to be seen.

Nevertheless, this is great news overall. And hopefully one day this partnership will extend to letting users run supported apps natively on their Quest headsets. Now that will truly make Meta Quest headsets some of the best VR headsets in the world.

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