New Windows 10 VR headsets are on the way with a tempting starting price

A new batch of Windows 10 VR headsets is on the way, Microsoft announced at its big event today, and their starting price may be low enough to tempt you. 

Headsets from key Microsoft partners - a slide on stage named HP, Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer - are due starting at $299 (about £245, AU$295), much cheaper than what you'd pay for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive

While we don't know the top-out cost for the headsets, given Rift's price of $600 (£499, AU$859) and Vive's $799 (£689, €899) tag, not to mention Microsoft HoloLens price of $3,000 (£2,719, AU$4,369), these headsets are a much cheaper way for you to experience virtual reality. 

No release date for the headsets was mentioned either, but with the Windows 10 Creators Update delivering, as Microsoft said, VR to everyone in spring 2017, the devices could arrive around the same time. 

Windows in VR

Though details on the headsets are scarce, what we do know is the products will allow users to experience Windows 10 in VR. 

What does that mean exactly? Based on Microsoft's onstage demos, a lot. 

You can watch a soccer game on a giant screen inside a virtual room, or go on a "holotour" of ancient Roman ruins without ever leaving your home. 

You can also view images captured with Paint 3D, a new offering that transforms 2D elements into 3D images. Whether a sandcastle your kids built on your ocean-side vacation or a customized emoji, you can experience 3D images as if they were real objects in front of you.

We'll likely hear more from Microsoft and its partners on the exact pricing and release details of the new VR headsets, but, for now, there's a lot to be excited about. 

Michelle Fitzsimmons

Michelle was previously a news editor at TechRadar, leading consumer tech news and reviews. Michelle is now a Content Strategist at Facebook.  A versatile, highly effective content writer and skilled editor with a keen eye for detail, Michelle is a collaborative problem solver and covered everything from smartwatches and microprocessors to VR and self-driving cars.