VRHow / Headsets / Lenovo Explorer
Lenovo Explorer: specs and Windows Mixed Reality status
What the Explorer is
Microsoft announced the Lenovo Explorer at IFA on August 31, 2017 as an immersive headset built for Windows Mixed Reality. Microsoft's announcement describes room-scale movement in an area up to 3.5 by 3.5 metres without external sensors, and says optional Motion Controllers or an Xbox controller could be used. It is launch-era platform documentation, not evidence that the same setup remains supported on current Windows. Microsoft's Lenovo Explorer announcement
Verified hardware facts
| Item | Verified detail |
|---|---|
| Display and optics | Single binocular LCD, 1,440 × 1,440 pixels per eye, 90 Hz; VR Compare records 97° horizontal and 94° vertical visible field of view. The field-of-view figures are a database specification, not a promise of what every face shape or fit will see. VR Compare specification record |
| Tracking | Six-degrees-of-freedom inside-out tracking through two integrated cameras; no external base stations are listed. The first-generation WMR controllers use six-degree-of-freedom tracking. VR Compare specification record |
| Fit and controls | VR Compare identifies a 399 g headset with a padded halo-style strap, manual software IPD adjustment of 60–63 mm, and two optional/kit WMR controllers with trackpad, joystick, face buttons and triggers. UploadVR's contemporaneous review describes the flip-up visor and rear tightening knob; that is independent review reporting, not a Lenovo guarantee of comfort. VR Compare specification record · UploadVR review |
| PC connection | Wired HDMI 2.0 video and USB 3.0; Lenovo's support record identifies a Y-cable with a video connector and USB 3.0 connector plus a 3.5 mm audio jack. A desktop or laptop therefore needs the right physical ports or a compatible adapter; an adapter cannot restore a missing WMR runtime. Lenovo Explorer overview · VR Compare specification record |
Launch price and what that does—and does not—tell you
Microsoft's 2017 announcement gave two U.S. launch figures: pricing for the Explorer with Motion Controllers would start at $449, while the headset without controllers was listed at $349; it also warned that country pricing and availability could vary. UploadVR's December 2017 review uses “$450” for the headset-and-controller package, broadly consistent with that announcement. VR Compare records a different $380 retail figure and labels the device discontinued. These are not interchangeable current prices: they show launch-era or database price records, not a verified October 2026 new-stock offer. Lenovo's support overview remains useful for identity and connections, but it does not establish current parts or new inventory. Microsoft launch pricing · UploadVR's $450 review title · VR Compare price/status record
Windows compatibility: historical support, current limit
Microsoft's archived minimum-hardware guide says WMR support covered Windows 10 version 20H2 through Windows 11 version 23H2, and explicitly says WMR devices are not supported on Windows 11 24H2 and newer. For the “all other WMR compatible headsets” class that includes the Explorer rather than the high-resolution Reverb class, Microsoft's listed 90 Hz baseline was a quad-core Intel Core i5-4590 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400, 8 GB RAM, a DirectX 12-capable GTX 1060 or RX 470/570, HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2, USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 4.0. Those are platform guidelines, not a Lenovo-specific performance guarantee; Microsoft says hardware below confirmed specifications may not function properly or at all. Microsoft's WMR minimum PC guidelines
The important present-day distinction is runtime support. Microsoft's current removed-features page says Windows Mixed Reality was removed in Windows 11 24H2, including Mixed Reality Portal, Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and SteamVR Beta. It says existing WMR devices can continue to work with Steam through November 2026 only when the user remains on the released Windows 11 23H2 version; after November 2026, WMR receives no security or non-security updates, bug fixes, technical support or online technical-content updates. Thus an Explorer may be usable as legacy hardware on a compatible installation, subject to drivers, ports and software, but SteamVR alone is not a replacement for the WMR runtime. Remaining on an older build is a lifecycle and security trade-off, not a recommendation to stop normal Windows updates. Microsoft's current removed-features notice
Used-kit checks
Verify that a listing includes the original headset cable and, if wanted, both first-generation WMR controllers; headset-only and controller bundles were separate launch configurations. Check the cable's HDMI and USB ends, the PC's available ports, the 3.5 mm audio connection and the controller battery compartments before paying. No source here verifies current Lenovo replacement-cable stock, a modern Windows workaround or a guaranteed used-market price, so those should be treated as listing-specific questions rather than Explorer specifications.
Sources
- Lenovo, “Overview for Lenovo Explorer” — model identity and Lenovo-listed connection details.
- Microsoft Windows Experience Blog, “IFA 2017: Lenovo announces Windows Mixed Reality headset” — announcement, room-scale description and launch pricing.
- Microsoft, “Minimum PC hardware guidelines” — historical WMR Windows versions and PC baseline.
- Microsoft, “Features and functionality removed in Windows” — Windows 11 24H2 removal and November 2026 support boundary.
- UploadVR, “Review: Lenovo Explorer $450 Windows VR Headset And Controllers” — independent launch-era design, cable and platform coverage.
- VR Compare, “Lenovo Explorer” — consolidated hardware record; its page warns that database information may not be 100% correct.