Microsoft and Meta team up to showcase the future of PCs
The two companies are working together to make a big change: they want to bring Windows, their operating system, into the expanding space of MR. After years of work on virtual and augmented reality, Microsoft has announced that Meta’s Quest line of glasses will soon be able to run Windows 11. This is a big step forward for interactive computing. This relationship was first hinted at earlier in 2024, but it was formally revealed in November 2024 at Microsoft’s Ignite convention.
Meta’s Quest 3 and Quest 3S headsets will be able to run Windows 11 in public test beginning in December 2024. Users will be able to link these headsets to their Windows PCs, either directly or through Windows 365 in the cloud, to make a smooth virtual environment. Microsoft stresses how easy this link is; according to reports, it requires just seconds to set up a safe, high-quality PC with multiple virtual panels.
This project is more than just a new idea. If Windows 11 could work in a mixed-reality setting, standard PC setups might become unnecessary. Instead, lightweight headsets that can handle multiple virtual screens could take their place. Even though it’s still in the test stage, this new idea shows how interactive computing is becoming more important for normal work and efficiency.
Mixed reality is appealing for more than just fun and games. It’s also useful for business teamwork and getting work done. Microsoft’s decision to put Windows 11 on Meta’s Quest devices is part of a larger trend of using virtual settings for useful business tasks. It’s becoming possible to hold virtual meetings on big virtual screens and do multiple things at once on several virtual machines, both at home and in public places like coffee houses.
Microsoft and Meta are putting themselves in the lead as the field of mixed reality computers changes. Virtual offices are becoming more common thanks to devices like the Quest 3, which let people use different apps easily in a virtual setting. With this alliance, the idea of a fully Internet-based workplace might become a lot more real.
This partnership also makes the competition tougher with Apple, whose Vision Pro headset has been moving its mixed-reality goals forward. Like Meta’s Quest headgear, Apple’s Vision Pro can connect to Mac computers and shares the goal of replacing regular screens with virtual worlds that are more engaging.
Microsoft and Meta are working together to change the way people use personal computers. They will make mixed reality a useful and efficient instrument for work and teamwork, and they will also start a new era of technological progress.
