If you’ve been following the news around Microsoft and Mixed Reality, then you’ve likely seen news about a set of upcoming Mixed Reality headsets from multiple third party manufacturers. The Virtual Reality space is really heating up, and Microsoft’s play is this new Mixed Reality platform being built into Windows 10. So, rather than spending thousands of dollars for a completely stand-alone system, ala HoloLens, you can buy a simpler solution that connects to a Windows 10 PC for the brains, ala Windows Mixed Reality.

Pre-Order Availability

The new Windows Mixed Reality headsets have been rumored to ship before the next Holiday Season (by Dec 2017?). However, you can pre-order the Developer Kits today with an expected ship date of August 2017! Pre-orders are currently only available in the USA and Canada, and only the Developer Kits are available for pre-order today.

There are 2 Mixed Reality Headsets being made available currently; from Acer and HP.

Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition

Pre-Order in the USA

Pre-Order in Canada

Here’s the basic hardware specs for the Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition:

• 2x high resolution LCD screens at 1440 x 1440 resolution
• Front hinged display
• 90 degree horizontal field of view
• Display refresh rate up to 90Hz (native)
• Built-in audio out and microphone support through 3.5mm jack
• Single cable with HDMI 2.0 (display) and USB 3.0 (data) for connectivity
• Inside-out tracking
• 4.0 meter cable

HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition

Pre-Order in the USA

Pre-Order in Canada

Here’s the basic hardware specs for the HP Windows Mixed Reality Headset Developer Edition:

• 2x high resolution LCD displays at 1440 x 1440 resolution
• Front hinged display
• 95 degrees horizontal field of view
• Display refresh rate up to 90Hz (native)
• Built-in audio out and microphone support through 3.5mm jack
• Single cable with HDMI 2.0 (display) and USB 3.0 (data) for connectivity
• Inside-out tracking
• 4.0m/0.6m removable cable
• double-padded headband and easy adjustment knob for all day comfort

Windows Mixed Reality System Recommendations for Developers

Here’s the recommended hardware requirements for Developers building Apps for Windows Mixed Reality:

• CPU – Intel Desktop Core i7 (6+ core) OR AMD Ryzen 7 1700 (8 core, 16 thread)
• GPU – Desktop Nvidia GTX 980/1060, AMD Radeon RX 480 (8GB) equivalent or greater DX12 and WDDM 2.2 capable GPU
• Display – Headset Connectors – 1x available graphics display port for headset (HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 for 60 Hz headsets, HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 for 90 Hz headsets)
• Memory – 16 GB RAM or greaters
• Storage – greater than 10GB additional free space
• Connectivity – 1x USB for headset (USB 3.0 Type-A), Bluetooth 4.0 for accessory connectivity

You can view a little further information at the official Windows Mixed Reality Dev Kit Pre-Order announcement post from Microsoft.

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