Yesterday, The first Windows Mixed Reality headsets from Dell, Lenovo, Acer and HP became available to purchase on the Microsoft Store, just in time for the release of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. If you’re not in a hurry to buy one of these headsets though, you may want to wait for the $499 Samsung HMD Odyssey, which premium price is justified by its AMOLED display with 2880 x 1600 resolution, built-in headphones and dual array mics.
Samung’s headset is already available to pre-order on the US Microsoft Store and will start shipping on November 6 in the country. If you live in Europe though, you’re unfortunately out of luck: A Samsung spokesperson told The Verge that the company has no plans to sell the headset in the old continent, without really explaining why. The company may well want to wait to see if these first headsets really appeal to consumers, even if its own offering looks to be the best of the bunch on paper.
Windows Mixed Reality support is one of the big new features of the Fall Creators Update, and Microsoft deserves credit for trying to democratize virtual reality. Compared to competing solutions from HTC and Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality headsets deliver a true “plug and play” experience with no complicated setup necessary. However, Windows Mixed Reality headsets won’t appeal to consumers without real support from developers, but so far Microsoft seems to be doing well on that front with the SteamVR catalog coming to Windows Mixed Reality this holiday season.