Microsoft recently announced in conjunction with Oculus that the Rift will be compatible with the Xbox One through Windows 10 and that every unit will come with an Xbox One controller. The news has created quite a bit of buzz leading up to the Oculus Rift launch in 2016.
Over on the Xbox news wire, it's announced that Microsoft and Oculus have collaborated together and they tease some big news on the horizon along with letting loose a new three minute video featuring Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb.
So, as mentioned, every Oculus Rift that's sold will come with an Xbox One controller. The controllers are compatible with the Xbox One, the Oculus Rift, Windows 10 and Windows compatible tablets.
Phil Spencer commented about the news, stating...
We’re thrilled to be working closely with the team at Oculus. Their groundbreaking work in virtual reality is inspiring, and the Oculus Rift delivers a truly next-generation VR experience, […] We at Xbox are passionate about giving gamers the opportunity to play when and where they want. I can't wait to see the incredible games created for the Rift, and we are proud to be part of the experience.
One of the really neat things about the Rift is that it's designed to work natively with Windows 10. What this means is that you won't have to get some third-party API, firmware or back-alley program to optimize the Rift for your Windows 10 gaming or virtual reality exploits.
One thing to keep in mind in all of this, though, is that Microsoft has made it known that Oculus Rift games can be streamed to the Xbox One through Windows 10. They don't mention running Rift games natively on the Xbox One, and that makes sense given that the recommended requirements for playing games through the VR device are extremely steep. The Xbox One doesn't have the horsepower to run Rift games natively, which does make me question how Sony will handle the Morpheus on the PS4.
Nevertheless, due to the shared nature of software between the Xbox One and the Windows 10 operating system, gamers will be able to use their Xbox Live profile on Windows 10 and stream various Windows 10 games directly to the Xbox One. This was a long-rumored feature for both platforms, especially since it was already confirmed that gamers would be able to stream Xbox One titles to Windows 10.
There will also be a lot of benefits on the PC's end with native DirectX 12 side, which should help Rift games run smoothly enough on PC to allow for decent enough frame-rates to stream those games to the Xbox One.
Of course, if you're planning on buying a pre-built Windows 10 desktop to work in conjunction with your Xbox One or if you're looking to upgrade your current PC to run Windows 10, keep in mind that the bare minimum graphics card you'll need to run Rift games at a decent frame-rate is an Nvidia GTX 970.
Windows 10 is set to go live on July 29th, 2015.
