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Windows Mixed Reality headsets: a short history

Short answer: Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) was Microsoft's PC software platform and Windows integration layer, not a headset brand. It arrived with Windows 10's Fall Creators Update on October 17, 2017, with headsets made by Acer, Dell, HP and Lenovo; Samsung's HMD Odyssey was announced alongside the launch and joined the lineup. Microsoft later deprecated WMR and says it will be removed in Windows 11 version 24H2. Existing devices remain supported only for users who stay on Windows 11 23H2 through November 2026. Last checked October 11, 2026.

What the program was

Microsoft used “Windows Mixed Reality” for the Windows-side platform: the Mixed Reality Portal, an on-demand feature package, headset and motion-controller drivers, and the Windows components that connected compatible PCs to immersive headsets. Microsoft's technical overview also identifies Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR as the bridge between Valve's SteamVR software and WMR headsets. The software platform was therefore distinct from the companies that designed and sold the hardware. Microsoft's software overview

Before launch: the platform strategy

Microsoft's August 28, 2017 holiday update explains the intended division of labor: Windows Mixed Reality was created as a platform spanning multiple device designs, while PC makers supplied the headsets and motion-controller bundles. Microsoft said the first wave would come from HP, Lenovo, Dell and Acer, use built-in sensors for inside-out positional tracking rather than room-mounted external sensors, and start at $399 for headset-and-controller bundles. Those were announced plans and starting prices for the 2017 holiday, not proof that every model or region shipped on the same day. Microsoft's August 2017 holiday update

2017: launch and the first OEM wave

Microsoft's launch announcement set October 17, 2017 as the start of the WMR era, tied to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. Its announcement listed pre-orders for five named partner devices: Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset, Dell Visor, HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset, Lenovo Explorer and Samsung HMD Odyssey. The separate availability post was updated on October 17 to say the headsets were available. Microsoft's October 3 launch announcement · Microsoft's availability post

MakerRepresentative deviceWhat the launch record verifies
AcerAcer Windows Mixed Reality HeadsetNamed in Microsoft's October 2017 pre-order and availability lineup; bundled motion controllers were offered.
DellDell VisorNamed in the same lineup; Microsoft's launch copy describes 1440 × 1440 LCD panels.
HPHP Windows Mixed Reality HeadsetNamed in the same lineup; Microsoft's post describes a headset bundled with motion controllers.
LenovoLenovo ExplorerNamed in the same lineup; Microsoft describes inside-out tracking without external sensors.
SamsungHMD OdysseyAnnounced October 3, 2017; Microsoft describes dual AMOLED displays, 110-degree field of view, built-in AKG headphones and six-degree-of-freedom inside-out tracking.

These are representative launch-era model names, not interchangeable brands for the platform. Microsoft’s posts verify the lineup and selected features, but do not establish a single worldwide retail-release date for every model. The table uses the documented October 17 availability milestone rather than inventing model-specific dates.

2017–2021: a Windows feature with continuing updates

The public driver history records an initial WMR headset-driver release on October 17, 2017, followed by fixes and feature updates for later Windows 10 releases. Microsoft's overview records a Windows 11 release-note cycle in October 2021, including a lighter “Infinite Expanse” home environment and an option to start SteamVR with Mixed Reality Portal. These are software milestones; they do not mean that Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo or Samsung released new hardware on those dates. Microsoft's software and driver release history

2023–2026: deprecation and the support boundary

Microsoft marked Windows Mixed Reality deprecated in December 2023. Its current deprecated-features record says WMR—including Mixed Reality Portal, Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and SteamVR Beta—will be removed in Windows 11 version 24H2. The same record says existing WMR devices continue to work with Steam through November 2026 only if users remain on the released Windows 11 version 23H2; after November 2026, Microsoft will provide no security or nonsecurity updates, bug fixes, technical support or online technical-content updates. This is a platform-support statement, not a claim that every OEM's hardware warranty or repair policy ended on the same day. Microsoft's deprecated-features documentation

Questions

Were Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung the same company or product?

No. Microsoft supplied the Windows Mixed Reality software platform and OS integration; the named companies supplied separate headset designs. The launch record lists their devices individually.

Did all five headsets launch on the same date?

The strongest shared date is the platform's October 17, 2017 availability milestone. Microsoft's posts verify the lineup and Samsung's October 3 announcement, but do not give a separate worldwide retail date for every model, so this page does not claim that all regional releases were identical.

Does Windows Mixed Reality still receive normal Windows support?

Not on the current path: Microsoft says WMR is deprecated and removed in Windows 11 version 24H2. The documented exception is continued use through November 2026 on Windows 11 version 23H2, with no updates or support after that point.

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