While everyone and their aunt has announced development on virtual reality technology, Microsoft’s been staunchly committed to the augmented reality sector à la HoloLens.
That’s about to change however, as the company is now looking to stuff some fingers into the VR pie.
It appears that Microsoft has developed a budget Google Cardboard rival called ‘VR Kit’.
The headset was spotted on a website used to promote a hackathon in Russia, as reported by Thurrott.
The promotional page invites developers to “start making games” for Microsoft VR kit.
“Use ready-made tools, and code templates and implement the idea of the amazing applications,” reads the page text, loosely translated from Russian.
The event in question is being held on October 17, and will seemingly see developers who create “successful” ideas rewarded with a VR Kit for further development.
Related: Oculus Rift vs HTC Vive
According to the page, the hackathon will be split into three distinct development categories: games, education, and corporate apps.
Each category will have a single winner that will receive a VR Kit.
Interestingly, the headset appears to be made from cardboard, much like Google’s offering.
As such, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Microsoft doling out the design on a free, open-source model at some point in the future.
Check out our Samsung Gear VR video below:
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.