Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Does Xbox Series X support VR?

Xbox Series X does not currently support VR. Unlike PlayStation 5, which supports the old PSVR headset and is getting PSVR 2 in the future, Microsoft’s plans for VR are a bit more mysterious. Nothing official has been announced, but the company’s dabbled with VR technology in the past — so there’s the possibility something could arrive at a later date.

Here’s what you need to know about VR on Xbox Series X, along with some alternatives to consider.

Further reading

Why doesn’t Xbox support VR?

Xbox Series X and a black controller sit on a table.
Xbox

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer made it pretty clear in October 2021 that his team isn’t focused on VR. Instead, the core focus of Xbox remains software — more specifically, Game Pass.

“I think that when we think about immersion, we think about mixed reality, virtual reality, I’ll even take it to ‘metaverse,’ which seems to be the buzzword of the day now,” Spencer said during a Wall Street Journal interview. “We’re big believers in that software platform and the devices that will enable that, absolutely, [but] we’re focused a lot more on the software side of that right now. When I think about immersive worlds and I think about the connection of a player and community, that’s something that’s very high on our investment list.”

Spencer would go on to say that he applauds Sony and Oculus for their VR efforts, but that Xbox will stay “focused on software” for the foreseeable future. In other words, building up a stable of impressive games is more valuable than exploring VR. Seeing as the market already has some stiff competition, that’s a move that makes sense. And it’s one that’s already paying off — with Game Pass hitting 25 million subscribers in early 2022.

Xbox Series X is certainly powerful enough to support VR, so the decision not to develop a headset must be a business move.

VR alternatives to consider

Oculus Quest 2 being used by player.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While the VR outlook for Xbox Series X is bleak, there are plenty of alternatives to consider if you don’t mind stepping away from the Xbox ecosystem. Our best VR headsets roundup takes an in-depth look at all your options, but here’s a quick overview:

  • Meta Quest 2: Not only is it relatively affordable (starting at $300) but this standalone headset doesn’t require any cables or external hardware. Just toss the device on your head, grab the two Touch Controllers, and you’re ready to play.
  • Valve Index: Arguably the best all-around VR headset on the market, the Valve Index is an absolute powerhouse. You’ll need a high-end PC to run it and be willing to drop around $1,000, but few VR headsets can match the abilities of the Index.
  • PSVR: If you’re looking for a good console-based VR solution, your only option right now is PSVR. Its successor, PSVR 2, is expected to arrive in the next year or so, but there are no firm details about its launch date from Sony.

Will Xbox Series X get VR in the future?

Person wearing HoloLens 2.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s hard to say if VR will arrive on Xbox Series X in the future. Microsoft certainly hasn’t announced any plans, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. The company has previously worked on the HoloLens (a mixed reality system for business use), so it could have a strong foundation for making a gaming-based VR headset.

Spencer did state in 2020 that adding VR would be a “no-brainer” if the technology continued to gain popularity. VR seems to be more mainstream than ever, so there is the possibility that Microsoft will throw its hat into the ring.

For now, however, Xbox Series X fans will have to seek out an alternative source to get their VR fix.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
The new 1TB PS5 has more usable storage space than the Xbox Series X
The new slimmer PS5 models.

It's out with the old and in with the new for the PlayStation 5, as Sony has replaced its old 2020 model with a slimmer redesign. The new model fixes one of its predecessor's biggest issues thanks to its 1TB storage upgrade. As is the case with any console, not all of that space is actually usable. In testing our own review unit, we've been able to break down just how much of an upgrade it actually is.

When popping into the storage menu, the new PS5 says it has 848GB of space. You'll find that some of that is already taken up by a few things, including Astro's Playroom, which comes installed on the system out the box. That'll leave you with 830.6GB, though you can delete the game to get 11.06GB back. The only thing you can't cut is 6.33GB of system files. All in all, that means you have roughly 842.2GB of usable space.

Read more
All upcoming Xbox Series X games: 2023, 2024 and beyond
An Ikran flies over Pandora in Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

The Xbox Series X and Series S have now been out for three years, bringing better resolution, higher frame rates, and ray tracing to gamers around the world. And the upcoming Xbox Series X games on this list promise to continue to show off all those bells and whistles in fun, new experiences.

If you're eager to find out what Microsoft has in store for the years ahead, we've rounded up every game confirmed so far, including new offerings, franchise installments, and ports of existing titles. We're looking beyond the first-party projects here to encompass all the great games coming to this powerful piece of gaming hardware. Maybe some of them will end up being among the best games on Xbox Series X.
Upcoming Xbox Series X games 2023
The games listed below either have 100% confirmed release dates or solid release windows that we expect them to hit this year.

Read more
One of the year’s best reviewed games is coming to Xbox Game Pass
Issac Clarke exploring ruins in Dead Space Remake.

Microsoft revealed the next batch of games coming to its Xbox Game Pass subscription service this October. While no Activision Blizzard games are coming to the service just yet following that acquisition, one of 2023's best-reviewed games is: this year's Dead Space remake.

Dead Space came out in January and is a stunning remake of a 2008 horror classic. The game follows an engineer named Issac Clarke as he searches for his girlfriend Nicole on a gigantic spaceship called the USG Ishimura. It's overrun by disgusting creatures called Necromorphs, though, leading to plenty of horrific situations as Issacs looks for answers on the ship. The original was an atmospheric and tense horror game, and developer EA Motive only enhanced all of that with this remake that updates the game's visuals and makes some other tweaks to bring the experience more in line with future games in its series and other modern horror games.
It's a great choice if you're looking for a new horror game to play this month, so we recommend checking it out when it hits Xbox Game Pass on October 26. It's not the only game coming to the service during the back half of this month, though. Here's the full list of games coming to Xbox Game Pass throughout the rest of October.

Read more