Microsoft is not yet interested in Virtual Reality, at least not in regards to gaming on its Xbox platforms. Despite pushback from fans, the company has been clear in its disinterest in the technology since 2020, but three years later their stance has not changed.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Xbox Game Studios chief Matt Booty said that Microsoft is continuing to monitor what is happening in the VR space, but won't invest in the technology until the install base is actually larger.
"I think for us, it’s just a bit of wait until there’s an audience there", he commented.
He continues making examples of games with an install base of 10 million players as the kind of numbers that the company would need to start looking at a possible future Xbox VR experience. Despite the popularity of VR hardware like the Meta Quest 2, the games available fail to bring in huge player bases.
Moving on to cloud technology instead, Booty said that Microsoft is interested, but he calls it a "niche market", adding "I’m not even sure you would call it a market yet, in fact. It’s very small usage and very small audience".
Booty continued talking about cloud technology and latest sponsorships with companies such as NVIDIA. But, he says, there are several issues in cloud technology, similarly to AR/VR. "We have some great partners that we’re giving our content to, but for me, it comes back to the content and focusing on things that have scale", comments Booty.
Still, Sony reported selling around 600.000 PSVR 2 units back in March, with experts claiming the unit desperately needed a price cut. So perhaps the install base is still a bit far from the numbers that Booty mentioned as requirements for Microsoft to start investing.
But, whether Microsoft' standpoint is correct or not, we are pretty much sure that VR technology is here to stay. Probably, all gaming companies will have to consider serious investments, sometime in the not so far future.