Microsoft's Mixed Reality Division Undergoes Layoffs
TapTechNews June 4, Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to CNBC via email statement that its Mixed Reality division is laying off staff. The statement did not specifically state the number of layoffs.
In the statement, the Microsoft spokesperson said: Earlier today, we announced the reorganization of the Microsoft Mixed Reality division. We will continue to fully support the US Department of Defense's IVAS project and continue to provide cutting-edge technology to support our soldiers. In addition, we will continue to invest in W365 to serve a wider mixed reality hardware ecosystem. We will continue to sell HoloLens 2 and support existing HoloLens 2 customers and partners.
The reorganization of the Microsoft Mixed Reality division is not unexpected. TapTechNews has noted that over the past few years, Microsoft has been gradually reducing its investment in its mixed reality projects. In August 2023, the company transferred the development of the Mixed Reality Toolkit to an independent GitHub organization. In December 2023, Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Windows Mixed Reality feature that was launched with Windows 10. This feature will stop being supported for the consumer version of Windows on November 1, 2026 and for the commercial version of Windows on November 1, 2027. Currently, all Windows Mixed Reality headsets in use will not be compatible with the latest Windows 11 version 24H2.
However, Microsoft will still continue to provide support for the HoloLens 2 headset. In fact, the company just released Windows Holographic version 24H1 a few weeks ago. As Microsoft stated in today's announcement, they are still continuing to develop the HoloLens 2 version for soldiers to use on the battlefield.
Even though the Mixed Reality division is laying off staff, Microsoft still plans to support other mixed reality devices, such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and Office applications for MetaQuest headsets, and its Office applications are also available for Apple VisionPro headsets.