Microsoft looks set to launch another Xbox-branded device this year, as the company makes its first step into virtual reality.
If the future of Xbox seems in flux, between cancelled handhelds and promises of multiple devices for the next generation, the company’s stance on virtual reality is one area where it has remained relatively consistent over the years.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has expressed his reluctance to create VR hardware several times in the past. In 2019, he dismissed the technology and said ‘nobody’s asking for VR’ on Xbox, three years after the PlayStation VR had launched. Spencer later reiterated this stance in 2021, emphasising how Xbox wants keep its focus on software.
Since then, Microsoft has opened its arms somewhat through Xbox Cloud Gaming, which has been compatible with Meta Quest headsets since 2023. Just like the company’s step into the handheld space though with the ROG Xbox Ally, it seems Xbox might be testing the waters for its own VR headset with a new partnership.
Last week, a report on GameSandwich claimed Meta was planning to shadow drop an Xbox branded Meta Quest 3S headset on Tuesday, June 24, priced at $399 (roughly £299 if directly converted).
According to the report’s sources, the Xbox version will include a black and green headset with matching accessories, including an elite strap, an Xbox wireless controller, and three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. In other words, it would be the same Meta Quest 3S headset at its core, only with some additional Xbox branding.
On the same day, a picture of the headset cropped up online, showing the box for the ‘Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition’. The original source of the image has since deleted the post, but it has been shared widely by other accounts on X.
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When could the Xbox VR headset release date be?
Microsoft hasn’t announced the headset, so it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt, but it certainly seems like it exists. If the aforementioned rumour is true, we’ll simply have to wait till tomorrow, June 24 to see if it does materialise.
Earlier this month, Xbox announced a partnership with AMD to create chips for a ‘portfolio of devices’ for its ‘next generation Xbox consoles’.
‘At Xbox our vision is for you to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want,’ Xbox president Sarah Bond said. ‘That’s why we’re investing in our next generation hardware line-up, across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories.’
Much like its collaboration with Asus on the ROG Xbox Ally, it seems any partnership with Meta is outside of Xbox’s next generation plans – and might instead be another way to leverage Xbox Game Pass, and the overall brand, into other markets.
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