Skip to main content

Microsoft could leverage recent Altspace VR purchase to make WMR more social

Microsoft will be looking to shake off the gamer-focus of virtual reality with its Windows Mixed Reality platform by encouraging social interactions through users’ own “Cliff House.” The “home” setting that you’ll spawn into when you first enter Windows Mixed Reality will let you invite friends and hang out in future releases.

As much as reality-bending technology like the HTC Vive or Microsoft’s own Hololens have all the potential in the world for games, Microsoft is targeting new audiences with its Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) platform. At its recent WMR event, it showed off more of the Microsoft Cliff House, which users will spawn into. Making that a social hub is part of Microsoft’s ongoing plan.

Recommended Videos

Revealed at the show by Alex Kipman, researcher behind Microsoft’s Hololens headset, he said that the company’s recently acquired VR social platform, Altspace VR, might form a basis for that social transformation. He described it as a “good foundation” for the kind of interpersonal mixed reality platform Microsoft wants to build in the future.

He did make sure to head off any concerns that Altspace VR as it is would change following the purchase, though. “Altspace is going nowhere,” he said, claiming that everyone at Microsoft loved the community that Altspace had created over the past couple of years.

The name has started to appear in Microsoft branding and buzzwords though. In a follow-up statement, Kipman said (via Venturebeat):

“For me the killer app for mixed reality is Altspace communication, the communication fabric of being able to be with all the people you love in a family setting. Or as an employer, to be able to have my people be around the world in a physically present way without actually having to be physically present.”

That’s the social and office interaction that Microsoft wants to leverage with WMR. It wants to build a new generation of platforms and tools for those working remotely or from home, enabling them to work within a collected office environment, without the commute. He went on to describe Altspace and WMR as the “communication fabric,” for mixed reality (thanks, MSpowerUser).

That’s not to say Microsoft is forgetting about 2D though. One of the benefits of augmented reality over virtual reality is that a 2D app can be represented in a unique fashion in the real world. Microsoft will continue to support the development of 2D apps and Kipman said that it will support them across all platforms: Xbox, PC, Hololens and its mixed reality devices.

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is a freelance evergreen writer and occasional section coordinator, covering how to guides, best-of lists, and…
I hope Microsoft adds these 6 things to the next major Windows Update
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

Windows 11 updates have a bit of a reputation, from slowing Intel's newest desktop processors to breaking games. Despite the occasional hiccup, we still look forward with cautious optimism.

Despite the occasional rough patch, Microsoft continues to evolve the OS, and each update feels like a chance for a new beginning. While Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything yet, the rumor mill is buzzing with what comes next, and I'm starting to feel excited. The talk of new features suggests fixes for long-standing annoyances, productivity boosts, and quality-of-life improvements worth waiting for.
What's coming to Windows in 2025?

Read more
Microsoft could make account-free Windows 11 installs a thing of the past
Windows 11 logo on a laptop.

The offline Windows 11 install looks like it could officially be a thing of the past. 

Microsoft is officially shutting the door on local accounts during Windows 11 setup, confirming that all new installations, Home and Pro alike, will now require a Microsoft account. 

Read more
Microsoft sign-in gets redesign and, more importantly, dark mode
microsoft dark mode sign in.

Microsoft is rolling out a new authentication process for services like Outlook, Xbox, Windows, and Microsoft 365. The practical aim is to focus more on passwordless logins and the visual aim is apparently to step back from "product-centric" design and lean into "Microsoft-centric design" (whatever that means).

Passwordless login refers to other forms of authentication, namely face ID, fingerprint ID, or PIN -- sometimes collectively referred to as passkeys. Although a PIN is still a set of numbers or letters that you type in to get access to your accounts, they're safer than passwords thanks to the way they're stored. Instead of information being transmitted to and stored on servers that bad actors are constantly trying to break into,  your PIN is kept securely stored on your device.

Read more