Attention: Windows Mixed Reality users on Windows 11

Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) users on Windows 11 may be experiencing some issues with the PCVR DeoVR app today. This is because Microsoft has rolled out update 24H2 which removes WMR support entirely.

What we know:

Build 26052 has these update notes: 

Plugging in to use a Windows Mixed Reality headset will not work starting with this build. Windows Mixed Reality is no longer available to users as Windows Mixed Reality has been announced as deprecated. This includes the Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta. Existing Windows Mixed Reality devices will continue to work with Steam through November 2026, if users remain on their current released version of Windows 11 (version 23H2) and do not upgrade to this year’s annual feature update for Windows 11 (version 24H2). This deprecation does not impact HoloLens.

The main HMDs to be affected are the HP Reverb, Samsung Oddysey, Lenovo Explorer, plus some rarer models like the ACER AH101, Dell Visor and Asus WMR. 

Windows 10 seems to be fine for now. 

How to avoid this update: 

The main piece of advice is if you are on Windows 11, do not update to 24H2, which is rolling out now. 24H2 is the update that removes WMR Support.

There are various guides online covering disabling Windows updates, but make sure to do your research before using any third-party tools.

This Youtube video has instructions on how to only receive security updates to Windows 11. Please note: We have not tested this ourselves and you follow these instructions at your own risk. 

What next? 

There has been a strong reaction against this move by Microsoft from the VR community. It's possible they'll see sense and revert this decision but for now our key suggestion for enjoying DeoVR VR content reliably and safely is to use a standalone VR headset.

We recommend the Meta Quest 3 or the affordable Meta Quest 3S. Both are standalone headsets which can stream DeoVR video perfectly, but can also be connected to a PC for any PCVR requirements. The PICO 4 is another good quality affordable standalone VR headset that can also be used for PCVR. 

There is a PCVR DeoVR app available on Steam but we strongly recommend users install and use the standalone free DeoVR app from the Meta store. Or the PICO store if you have a PICO headset. 

Join the discussion at the DeoVR forum, Facebook and Reddit.