Own a Windows Mixed Reality VR headset? Here's what Microsoft told us about when support will end, and what that means for you.
If you missed the news, Microsoft announced that Windows Mixed Reality is now officially deprecated, and will be "removed in a future release of Windows".
The Acer AH101, Acer OJO 500, Asus HC102, Dell Visor, HP VR1000, HP Reverb, HP Reverb G2, Lenovo Explorer, Samsung Odyssey, and Samsung Odyssey+ VR headsets all require Microsoft's Windows Mixed Reality software to function.
David Heaney
A source at Microsoft told UploadVR this "future release of Windows" will arrive in late 2024.
But Microsoft's public notice said the deprecation also includes both the required Mixed Reality Portal application currently available on the Microsoft Store and the SteamVR driver currently on Steam. What exactly do these "deprecations" entail, and what does this mean for your VR headset?
UploadVR reached out to Microsoft officially for answers. A company representative provided the following statement:
"As of Nov. 1, 2026 for consumers and Nov. 1, 2027 for commercial customers, Windows Mixed Reality will no longer be available for download via the Mixed Reality Portal app, Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR, and Steam VR beta, and we will discontinue support.
[...]
Existing Windows Mixed Reality devices will continue to work with Steam until users upgrade to a version of Windows that does not include Windows Mixed Reality."
So there you have it. After 1 November 2026, you'll no longer be able to download the software required to use Windows MR headsets, nor the SteamVR driver, so if you have the late 2024 Windows 11 update or newer you won't be able to set up the headset.
It sounds like existing headset setups will continue to function though, assuming you keep the software installed, but we've again reached out to Microsoft to ask whether there's some kind of remote or timed bricking mechanism as there is in Magic Leap 1.
