Microsoft has done a U-turn on its plans to bring VR capabilities to Xbox One. Back when it was first announced, “Project Scorpio” — which went on to become the most recent addition to the console line-up, Xbox One X — was previously said to be designed with “high-end VR” in mind.
However, gaming CMO Mike Nichols recently revealed that the company no longer has any plans to introduce VR or mixed reality for Xbox users, citing the slow growth of the overall VR market as the reason behind the decision.
Analyst Comment
On one hand, it seems like an odd move from Microsoft to abandon all efforts towards establishing a rival to PlayStation VR — albeit one very late to the party. Having said that, with the release of the Xbox One X, the company has made great strides in simply getting gaming “right”, after a very shaky start to the generation.
The original Xbox One console was totally bogged down by the gimmicky — and at one point, compulsory — Kinect add-on, so I can understand why Microsoft would shy away from introducing any other expensive, niche peripherals at this stage. (AF)
