Microsoft once again reiterated that VR support for the Xbox was not the company’s focus, following reports today that suggested it was working on an Xbox Series X / S compatible VR headset.
The rumor first appeared after IGN Italy reported that some Italian Xbox users received messages, which translated into “[a]n update to the VR headset is available ”and“[u]pdate VR headset ”, when connecting the newly launched Xbox Wireless Headset to the Xbox Series X or Series S consoles. My colleague, Cameron Faulkner, analyzed the Xbox Wireless headset and did not find this pop-up message when using the headset on an Xbox Series X console in the United States.
A Microsoft representative said The Verge that “the copy in this error message is inaccurate due to a localization bug”, while reiterating again that “VR for console is not the focus for us at the moment”.
Microsoft has not yet explored the VR space for its Xbox consoles. In 2018, the company withdrew plans to support virtual reality headsets for Xbox in 2018, explaining that it wanted to focus “mainly on the experiences you would play on your TV”. In late 2019, Xbox boss Phil Spencer tweeted that while he played “some great VR games” like Half-life: Alyx, The console VR was not the focus of the Xbox before the launch of the Xbox Series X / S.