Beware: WMR support will be gone with the upcoming Windows 11 update 24H2!

The Lawful

The Lawful
They announced it deeply hidden in some Insider build notes in February, but omitted any mentions in the release apparently. Here is the original notice from the Insider build:

Plugging in to use a Windows Mixed Reality headset will not work starting with this build. Windows Mixed Reality is no longer available to users as Windows Mixed Reality has been announced as deprecated. This includes the Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta. Existing Windows Mixed Reality devices will continue to work with Steam through November 2026, if users remain on their current released version of Windows 11 (version 23H2) and do not upgrade to this year’s annual feature update for Windows 11 (version 24H2). This deprecation does not impact HoloLens.

As 24H2 is currently being rolled out, be careful if you are using WMR devices, like the G2 and others.

O7,
🙃
 

Helmut Grokenberger

Helmut Grokenberger
To add to that: You can NOT reinsert WMR support into 24h2 by installing the downloads still available from the MS store. Some of the core functionality of WMR is embedded in the OS, and 24h2 will remove those core components.

Upgrading to Windows 11 14h2 will brick your device (not permanently, but you get the idea).
 

Bill Clement

Bill Clement
DeckerSolo said:
Just seen this, very sad that Microsoft couldn't find ways to support all those WMR headsets users. :(
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb1C2nB48Tc
Click to expand...
Not 'sad'- absolutely scandalous! I've been seething ever since I found out!

I went with Windows 11 when I built my new PC to try and future proof it as much as possible. In July '22 the difference in price between Win 11 and 10 was considerable (around £100 as I recall), but I took the hit, figuring that support for 10 would end before my VR headset gave up.

Obviously, if I knew they were going to pull the rug from under me with VR support, I'd have gone with the much cheaper OS.

As it stands, I'm going to have to run an unsupported OS until November '26, when they'll brick a perfectly functional peripheral!

I'm bloody furious! It's a family friendly forum, so I won't express it in stronger terms, but how dare they! It would be like taking a car in for an MOT and the garage casually announcing that they're removing the key feature of your vehicle- no more power steering/high end audio/satnav/performance tires for you, laddie!

I built my computer and sim pit around just two games- Elite Dangerous and DCS. I've put literally thousands of pounds into the 'pit and the games. I don't regret a single penny of it! I enjoy every aspect of the hobby, from choosing suitable components, assembling the kit and flying in virtual reality. It's amazing, a fabulous escape from reality. I just can't get my head around how Microsoft think it's in any way acceptable for them to just delete a key- for me, the key- function of the operating system.

Surely they've committed some kind of fraud here? They sold a product claimed to do something, now they're taking away the ability to do the thing it was purchased to do. That's either stealing, by taking money under false pretences, or vandalism, inflicting software damage that'll render customer's firmware and hardware useless.

Are there any Americans reading this? Your countrymen have a litigious streak, is anybody taking Microsoft to task for this? Is there a class action case to be had?
 

alexzk

A
Frank said:
I'm hoping this will provide the incentive for a Linux driver. Once I can use it for my VR headset I'll be ditching Windows
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You're free to make it. I made fans' control for my laptop. Not so complex as VR driver though :D
But ... Linux does not need "drivers" for most of the devices. USB things are accessed by user space apps which is times easier to do.
 

rootsrat

Volunteer Moderator
rootsrat
Yes, this is sadly utterly ridiculous. Thousands of people must be fuming, me included.

I feel very sorry for the people that are not aware and will find out the hard way when their headsets just stop working one day...

I still hope this can be somehow resolved by community, but the more I read about it, the less hope I have.

I wonder if some companies are still selling the WMR headsets...
 

Nowski

Nowski
Frank said:
I'm hoping this will provide the incentive for a Linux driver. Once I can use it for my VR headset I'll be ditching Windows
Click to expand...
Seems there's some ongoing projects with experimental support (I don't have such a device I'm just curious about linux support for things :) )

Envision

Envision # Envision GitLab repository Envision is a graphical app that acts as an orchestrator to get a full Monado or WiVRn setup up and running with a few clicks. Envision attempts to construct a working runtime with both a native OpenXR and an OpenVR API, provided by OpenComposite, for client...
lvra.gitlab.io lvra.gitlab.io

 

Kyokushin

Kyokushin
rootsrat said:
Yes, this is sadly utterly ridiculous. Thousands of people must be fuming, me included.

I feel very sorry for the people that are not aware and will find out the hard way when their headsets just stop working one day...

I still hope this can be somehow resolved by community, but the more I read about it, the less hope I have.

I wonder if some companies are still selling the WMR headsets...
Click to expand...
I moved from my G2 to Quest 3 a year ago. MS and HP just screwed people.
In fact, in same way like Frontier with on-foot VR...
 
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Billkwando

Billkwando
I had to take my prebuilt PC in to Microcenter for a warranty nvme ssd replacement, and knew it was going to come back with Windows 11 on it. I had formatted it and installed 10, but it never felt right because I couldn't find the exact right drivers for a lot of the hardware. I asked them to give me an old version of Win11 if they could, and I got it back with 22H2. You can use that or 23H2, but I read somewhere that the only thing it added was "just added spyware/AI crap". Take with a grain of salt, naturally.

Point being, I locked my windows down with an app called InControl. It's basically a TargetReleaseVersion thing, with a little extra sauce:

1728449677928.png


You still get all your security updates, drivers, etc. It just keeps the OS from updating. Apparently we have at least another year of support, so I'm sticking with my Odyssey+

The WMR app is still up on the MS Store, and if anyone needs the O+ setup app, with the firmware, it's hidden from the store search, but you can get it here:
www.microsoft.com

Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Setup - Íoslódáil saor in aisce agus suiteáil ar Windows | Microsoft Store

Samsung HMD Odyssey+ Setup
www.microsoft.com


Edit: Here's the Mixed Reality Portal as well, just in case they hide that later:
www.microsoft.com

Mixed Reality Portal - Microsoft Apps

Discover Windows Mixed Reality and dive into more than 3,000 games and VR experiences from Steam®VR and Microsoft Store. Get extraordinary access to live sports and entertainment and connect with others in the ultimate high-octane VR gaming experience.* Download this app to set up and manage...
www.microsoft.com
 
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Dragsham

Dragsham
It's a sad state of affairs.
Smug git that iam I got a pimax crystal light as an upg to the g2. And it is. No screendoor at all which is wonderful.
Clarity is fab. The g2 is a good headset still & it's a scandal that MS are binning WMR.
Typical!
Its been almost 30 years since Windows 95 came out and still there's no mainstream competitor for an OS.


Why?
 

amigacooke

amigacooke
Dragsham said:
Typical!
Its been almost 30 years since Windows 95 came out and still there's no mainstream competitor for an OS.


Why?
Click to expand...
Software availability.

Remind yourself how often the answer to requests for apps on other operating systems to Windows is met with a chorus of get a (Windows) PC.

What could go wrong if one company has the effective monopoly?
 

alexzk

A
Dragsham said:
Its been almost 30 years since Windows 95 came out and still there's no mainstream competitor for an OS.


Why?
Click to expand...
There is. I use Linux and like it more.
Now they take "Windows" ways though - they port "gui conveniences & bugs" :D so I had to rollback each couple weeks different things.
But in general Linux is better for me, I have control on each piece.

P.S. My 70 years old mom asked to install Linux on new machine when she used it for a year on old one.
 

Kirkosism

Kirkosism
Mickysoft strikes again.

Here's some instructions on how to prevent the Windows 11 downgrade for as long as possible.

I wish that in December 2026 we could gather all the redundant WMR headsets, find out where these decision making 'people' live, and arrange to dump them outside their houses as a Christmas present.
 
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