Microsoft Hewlett-Packard Lenovo Dell and Acer teamed up to push Microsoft VR helmet

According to Forbes magazine, Microsoft and its several technology partners hope that virtual reality (VR) products will become hot products during the holiday season. Microsoft said on Monday that HP, Lenovo, Dell and Acer will launch a VR helmet based on the Microsoft Windows operating system during the busy holiday shopping season.

In addition, Microsoft said it has developed its own motion controller that is compatible with the upcoming helmet. It does not state whether it plans to sell the motion controller separately.

In terms of helmets, Microsoft said that the new Dell VisorVR helmet, which will be released this fall, will cost 360 US dollars (about 2,379 yuan), if it includes Microsoft controllers, it will cost 460 US dollars (about 3039 yuan). It does not provide any details about other helmets.

But earlier this year, Acer said that its VR helmet is priced at $300 (about 1982 yuan).

Microsoft also said that the virtual reality version of some popular video games will appear on the new helmet for the first time. One of the games is Minecraft. In 2014, Microsoft spent $2.5 billion to acquire it from developer Mojang. This game.

The special VR version of the first-person shooter Halo will also make its debut, but Microsoft technology researcher Alex Kipman did not disclose the exact timing. Kipman also said that Steam video games and VR distribution services will be compatible with the new Windows-based VR helmet.

It is worth noting that Steam's parent company, Valve, is a software partner of Taiwan's smartphone maker HTC, and HTC sells the Vive VR helmet.

Steam is one of the most popular ways people use virtual reality games and apps, but they need to use Vive helmets to play or use them.

In fact, the new Windows-based VR helmet will be compatible with Steam, which means people don't have to have a Vive helmet, they can also get VR software from Steam service.

Microsoft's latest VR news was released in the recent case of Facebook and HTC cutting their respective helmets. Earlier in August, HTC cut the price of Vive from $800 to $600, after Facebook temporarily lowered the price of the Oculus Rift from $600 to $400 as part of summer sales.

Analysts say that although the price of VR helmets is cheaper than ever, it can't be mainstream because it also requires a fairly expensive personal computer to operate the VR helmet.

According to Microsoft, even the lowest-priced computer can drive a $500 Windows helmet.

However, Microsoft’s VR announcement on Monday showed that large technology companies still see immersive technology as a potential large business opportunity and a heavy holiday gift.