Windows
Windows is the desktop operating system developed by Microsoft and the most common platform for PC-based virtual reality. Most tethered, PC-powered headsets and the runtimes that drive them run on Windows, including the Oculus Rift family (DK1, DK2, CV1, and Rift S), the HTC Vive, the Valve Index, and SteamVR.
VR on Windows
A PC VR headset connected to a Windows machine is presented to the system in one of two ways.
- Extended mode treats the headset as an additional monitor. The desktop is extended onto the headset display and the VR application renders to that screen. This was the original approach, but it is prone to the operating system placing windows or notifications on the headset.
- Direct mode hides the headset from the Windows desktop compositor so it is not treated as a normal monitor, and hands the display directly to a VR runtime such as SteamVR or the Oculus runtime. Direct mode lowers latency and stops the desktop spilling onto the headset, and it is the standard way modern PC VR runtimes drive a headset.
Windows Mixed Reality
Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) was Microsoft's own VR platform built into Windows 10 and Windows 11, supporting headsets from partners such as HP, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, Asus, and Samsung. Microsoft deprecated Windows Mixed Reality in late 2023 and removed it from Windows in a later update, ending support for those headsets, so the WMR path on Windows is winding down.[1]