The partnership between the two giants has been announced earlier this year when Microsoft started collaborating with Oculus for developing the latest VR headset, namely the Oculus Rift. As virtual reality enthusiasts were waiting restlessly for some results, the companies worked together to deliver one of the most innovative applications of the century. It is now possible for Windows 10 users to stream Xbox One and Xbox 360 compatible games to the PC via an official Xbox app.
Moreover, users also get a viewing hub so the gamers can see the compatible titles, browse, and select the compatible titles in virtual reality. Along the partnership, Microsoft showed clear signs of goodwill towards Oculus, especially when the company introduced free Xbox controllers in the Oculus Rift bundle. Hence, the engineers were able to develop the Oculus Touch motion controllers while the users could make the most of their virtual reality setup with the Xbox controllers.
Further Advancements
Starting with next year, VR enthusiasts can expect even more good news. One of them is that the Oculus Rift will go hand in hand with the Xbox Scorpio. The latter represents a visible improvement over the other Xbox models, with a beefier graphics card and more processing power than previous models. Also, the boost in RAM memory will make the Xbox Scorpio one of the, if not the best mid-generation gaming setup on the market.
Needless to say that the partnership will go on without a hitch into the next year, and Oculus Rift will be compatible with Microsoft’s future release, as well.
What to Expect?
Even though the article on future releases is not very detailed, the companies do provide some insight. In essence, the Oculus Rift users will be able to experience a virtual theater hub. Once they are in the game, they can not only run their favorite titles but also interact with friends and basically make use of all the features present on the Xbox One or Xbox 360.
Some virtual reality games compatible with PC through a VR handset are already available on Steam. For example, gamers can download multiple applications like the Retro Arcade and jump into the game with Oculus Rift or HTC Vive handsets. However, users will not be able to run the games in full-screen mode and it is probably for the best. It is no surprise that some gamers suffer from VR nausea. Ultimately, Oculus Rift makes great use of window mode to limit the effects of virtual reality sickness and improve the users’ experience.
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