Windows Hololens

Fall edition of Win 10 Creators Update gets mixed reality additions

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Mixed reality for everyone with Fall edition of Creators Update. (Image: Microsoft)

18 October 2017

 

The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (W10FCU) has been well covered, and say its makers, offers breakthroughs in creativity, from bringing mixed reality and 3D to the masses, to faster broadcasting for gaming, to turning photos and videos into real memories, and more.

Among many new features around the pen and ‘inking experiences’, the big development is in W10FCU’s mixed reality capabilities.

Mixed reality
With mixed reality, Microsoft said it is seeking to fundamentally improve the way people create, communicate and play. Users can, the maker says, transcend time and space and immerse themselves in any environment, helping ideas break free from the boundaries of paper or screens.

While that may sound like a marketing fluff, what Microsoft goes on to say is that until now, any practical use of mixed reality required the use of a headset and for immersive virtual reality, people had to mount cameras in the corners of their home, as well as being unable to take their headset with them to a friend’s house or their workplace. That changes with the availability of Windows Mixed Reality headsets.

Microsoft said for the most immersive mixed reality experience, partners, Acer, Dell and Lenovo are launching the very first Windows Mixed Reality headsets at Microsoft Store and Microsoft.com.

Prices for the Lenovo are €449 in Harvey Norman, with the Acer and Dell both costing €449 and available in Harvey Norman and Currys PC World respectively. These Windows Mixed Reality headsets allow users to take them on the go, said Microsoft.

Mixed Reality Viewer
The W10FCU also includes the Mixed Reality Viewer, which brings mixed reality to the PC. By using the camera on a PC, customers can see 3D objects mixed into their actual surroundings.

With this blend of devices and capabilities, Microsoft said users can now enjoy travel, sports, live concerts and gaming like never before in their own virtual home with content from over 20,000 apps in the Windows Store.

Microsoft reckons that 3D will offer a boost to productivity too, as imaginations are set free with the technology.

“3D will offer the next major boost to human productivity, enabling a next generation of computing that moves far beyond the 2D world. This is powerful because 3D is truly representative of the world we live in – improving the way people comprehend, retain and learn,” said Microsoft.

3D advances
W10FCU enables anyone to create in 3D, using Paint 3D, objects can be easily manipulated, created and shared in 3D, and even brought into Office files, including PowerPoint presentations and Word documents, with the potential to dramatically improve storytelling and comprehension, said Microsoft. Objects can rotate and animate within a presentation, and with the Mixed Reality Viewer, 3D creations can easily be dropped into the physical world. This is great, says Microsoft, for students, professionals or anyone who wants to create.

Gaming gets a boost too, as in W10FCU the Mixer app, that allows users to stream gameplay for sharing, is improved to allow users to launch and jump into a game stream faster than before. Game Mode also enables developers to access all the power of the PC and dedicate it to games, delivering a more performant gaming experience on Windows 10.

The Photo app gets ‘re-imagined’ too, for easier photo enhancement with inking, effects, transitions and the like. Video editing becomes easier too, with no experience required, providing intuitive controls and tasks for soundtrack, theme, ink and cinematic transitions.

While all that sounds great, W10FCU might not be for everyone just yet. So, if you want to ward it off for a while, see here. But of not, it rolls out form 17 October.

 

TechCentral Reporters

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