Microsoft bought into augmented reality long before it was cool, and now the company plans to bring its idea of the future to your Windows 10 PC.
Announced for next year, the Windows 10 update will allow "mainstream PCs" (presumably meaning everyday PCs, not ones that hipsters hate) to run both universal and mixed reality programs built for Microsoft's Holographic Shell - a sort of omni-directional display turning your computer monitor in a virtual office space.
To better illustrate what Windows 10 would look like in its holographic context, Microsoft put out this video demo claiming to run at a silky smooth 90 frames per second on an itty-bitty, consumer-level Intel NUC computer kit:
Speaking of Intel, the computer tech firm is teaming up with Microsoft to bring out specialized PCs designed for mixed reality, as well as headsets for viewing your cyber-surroundings. Additionally, other AR peripherals like Microsoft's HoloLens can make use of the update.
While we're excited for the prospects of augmented reality, we hope Microsoft is a little less pressuring with next year's AR update than it was for its pushy Windows 10 upgrade reminders.
