For the tens of thousands of VR enthusiasts who invested in Windows Mixed Reality headsets, the past year has felt like betrayal. With the arrival of the Windows 11 24H2 update, Microsoft quietly pulled the plug on its entire Mixed Reality (MR) platform—rendering a slew of devices from industry giants like HP, Samsung, Acer, Lenovo, Dell, and Asus virtually obsolete overnight. There was neither fanfare nor warning, and not a patch or apology in sight from Microsoft. One sweeping update bricked the software support that tethered these headsets both to their host PCs and, most painfully for many, to SteamVR—the backbone of the PC VR gaming scene.
Yet just when hope seemed lost, a glimmer of optimism has emerged—not from Redmond, but from a solo software engineer with deep ties to the VR industry. In a testament to the power of individual innovation, Matthieu Bucchianeri is now spearheading an effort to bring Windows MR headsets back from the brink with a new project called “Oasis.” This is no mere homebrew hack: Oasis is a native SteamVR driver with the potential to untether neglected headsets from Microsoft’s decommissioned software, bringing them back into the fold for VR gaming, creative work, and immersive experiences.
To fully grasp what’s at stake, one must revisit the abruptness and ramifications of the Windows 11 24H2 update. When Microsoft released this update, Mixed Reality Portal and its associated runtime—the suite making Windows MR possible—were deprecated without a transition roadmap or migration guidance. For users who’d invested hundreds of dollars in hardware like the popular HP Reverb G2, this wasn’t just an inconvenience. It meant those devices, already heavily dependent on Microsoft’s ecosystem, no longer worked on up-to-date systems. Even workarounds often involved rolling back OS updates, sacrificing security and feature improvements for the sake of VR compatibility.
Compounding the frustration, MR headsets were the most affordable entry points into PC virtual reality. Their death not only impacted mainstream consumers, but also educators, researchers, and indie developers, who often relied on inexpensive surplus hardware. As of 2024, prices for secondhand MR headsets had fallen to historic lows, underscoring both their lost utility and the pent-up demand for a usable solution.
He is also the co-creator of OpenXR Toolkit—software that has become a staple for VR modders seeking more flexibility and features—and VDXR, another critical tool in VR interfacing. Bucchianeri’s strong opinions on industry design choices are well documented; he’s publicly critiqued Meta’s earlier approaches to the OpenXR standard, advocating for more transparent, modular, and user-friendly frameworks.
This is no simple feat. To build Oasis, Bucchianeri reportedly had to employ a suite of reverse-engineering techniques, carefully avoiding exposure to protected or confidential Microsoft documentation. While some users and pundits speculated about the legality of such efforts, Bucchianeri insists the Oasis project does not infringe on any intellectual property or internal NDAs. To minimize risk, he has opted to keep the source code closed for now, wary of even accidental IP entanglement.
Verification of Bucchianeri's approach, corroborated by his prior open-source work and the transparency around Oasis’s development process, adds credibility to these legal precautions. Media coverage—including from UploadVR and Windows Report—has noted Bucchianeri’s detailed documentation and open communication with both users and other developers, lending further legitimacy to the effort.
AMD’s version of direct mode uses proprietary locking mechanisms and driver-level gating that, according to Bucchianeri, are much harder to reverse-engineer or configure compared to NVIDIA’s more accessible approach. Negotiations and technical talks between Bucchianeri and AMD representatives are reportedly underway, but no timeline or promises have been made for future AMD support.
This NVIDIA-first approach immediately shapes the addressable market for Oasis. Many VR enthusiasts continue to favor NVIDIA hardware for its performance and software maturity, but the exclusion of AMD means a nontrivial subset of users remains in limbo. For now, the resurrection of MR headset support, remarkable as it is, still has boundaries.
Further, Bucchianeri’s collaboration with other open-source tool builders and his willingness to seek feedback from testers strengthen the notion that Oasis isn’t a fleeting or risky passion project. Rigorous reverse engineering, persistent iteration, and an ethos of careful legality distinguish this effort from the many abandoned or dubious MR runtime wrappers circulating in hobbyist forums.
The end of MR runtime support is a symbolic blow as much as a utilitarian one. It signals to both end users and partner hardware makers that investing in proprietary VR ecosystems may be risky—a lesson echoed in the premature retirements of Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and others. The effect is a chilling one, possibly hindering mainstream VR adoption at precisely the moment when the wider XR industry seeks to recapture lost momentum.
This outcome would mirror other historical moments where community innovation prolonged the life—and relevance—of “dead” hardware. From custom firmware for classic smartphones to homebrew OS projects for abandoned laptops, the story of Oasis fits a well-established pattern in the technology world: where companies see end-of-life, communities see a new lease on life.
Consumers eager to use their dust-collecting Reverb G2 or Samsung Odyssey should keep a close eye on Bucchianeri’s project updates via GitHub, Reddit, and VR community forums. Early beta testing, user-generated troubleshooting, and perhaps even the formation of a mini-ecosystem around Oasis seem well within reach.
Longer-term success hinges on continued developer attention and community feedback. The tech world’s collective memory is filled with well-intentioned revivals that faltered due to a lack of critical mass, documentation gaps, or insurmountable technical blockers. Should Oasis avoid these pitfalls, it could emerge as the blueprint for VR hardware longevity in a constantly shifting landscape.
For Windows MR headset owners, the road back to SteamVR may soon be open, led by a solo developer with a distinguished past and a pragmatic, collaborative outlook. In a year marked by sudden endings for many beloved hardware lines, Oasis stands as both a solution and a symbol: proof that, in the hands of the committed few, “unsupported” does not mean forgotten.
Source: Windows Report Windows MR headsets might work again soon—thanks to one Microsoft developer
Yet just when hope seemed lost, a glimmer of optimism has emerged—not from Redmond, but from a solo software engineer with deep ties to the VR industry. In a testament to the power of individual innovation, Matthieu Bucchianeri is now spearheading an effort to bring Windows MR headsets back from the brink with a new project called “Oasis.” This is no mere homebrew hack: Oasis is a native SteamVR driver with the potential to untether neglected headsets from Microsoft’s decommissioned software, bringing them back into the fold for VR gaming, creative work, and immersive experiences.
The Fallout from Microsoft’s Decision
To fully grasp what’s at stake, one must revisit the abruptness and ramifications of the Windows 11 24H2 update. When Microsoft released this update, Mixed Reality Portal and its associated runtime—the suite making Windows MR possible—were deprecated without a transition roadmap or migration guidance. For users who’d invested hundreds of dollars in hardware like the popular HP Reverb G2, this wasn’t just an inconvenience. It meant those devices, already heavily dependent on Microsoft’s ecosystem, no longer worked on up-to-date systems. Even workarounds often involved rolling back OS updates, sacrificing security and feature improvements for the sake of VR compatibility.Compounding the frustration, MR headsets were the most affordable entry points into PC virtual reality. Their death not only impacted mainstream consumers, but also educators, researchers, and indie developers, who often relied on inexpensive surplus hardware. As of 2024, prices for secondhand MR headsets had fallen to historic lows, underscoring both their lost utility and the pent-up demand for a usable solution.
SteamVR: The Other Casualty
Perhaps even more significant than the end of the Mixed Reality Portal itself was the breakage of SteamVR integration. Valve’s platform, which provides a unified interface for various VR hardware, saw its compatibility with all Windows MR devices vanish. Headsets like the Samsung Odyssey, once easily used to play Half-Life: Alyx or walk through creative VR worlds, were left out of the SteamVR party entirely. For many who’d migrated to Windows 11’s latest version, this felt like an enforced retirement.Enter Matthieu Bucchianeri: The Industry Veteran
But where corporate inertia and disregard left a void, the VR community saw a call to action. Matthieu Bucchianeri is far from an amateur coder—his résumé traces the history of VR innovation itself. Having worked on the PlayStation 4 and the first-generation PlayStation VR at Sony, rocket technology at SpaceX, and advanced AR at Microsoft HoloLens, Bucchianeri has a unique blend of commercial engineering experience and a deep understanding of immersive hardware.He is also the co-creator of OpenXR Toolkit—software that has become a staple for VR modders seeking more flexibility and features—and VDXR, another critical tool in VR interfacing. Bucchianeri’s strong opinions on industry design choices are well documented; he’s publicly critiqued Meta’s earlier approaches to the OpenXR standard, advocating for more transparent, modular, and user-friendly frameworks.
Oasis: Bypassing the Broken MR Runtime
Oasis represents a mix of technical audacity and community service. Instead of relying on the now-defunct MR runtime, Oasis is designed as a native SteamVR driver. That means Windows MR headsets can, in theory, plug directly into SteamVR and operate just like Valve’s Index or HTC Vive—completely sidestepping Microsoft’s abandoned infrastructure.This is no simple feat. To build Oasis, Bucchianeri reportedly had to employ a suite of reverse-engineering techniques, carefully avoiding exposure to protected or confidential Microsoft documentation. While some users and pundits speculated about the legality of such efforts, Bucchianeri insists the Oasis project does not infringe on any intellectual property or internal NDAs. To minimize risk, he has opted to keep the source code closed for now, wary of even accidental IP entanglement.
Verification of Bucchianeri's approach, corroborated by his prior open-source work and the transparency around Oasis’s development process, adds credibility to these legal precautions. Media coverage—including from UploadVR and Windows Report—has noted Bucchianeri’s detailed documentation and open communication with both users and other developers, lending further legitimacy to the effort.
Technical Caveats: NVIDIA Exclusivity and AMD’s Barriers
Despite its promise, Oasis does come with some immediate limitations. The most notable is GPU compatibility: as of its initial release, Oasis supports only NVIDIA graphics cards. Why the snub for AMD users? The answer is complex, rooted in how AMD implements “VR direct mode”—a low-level subsystem critical for direct headset-to-GPU communication.AMD’s version of direct mode uses proprietary locking mechanisms and driver-level gating that, according to Bucchianeri, are much harder to reverse-engineer or configure compared to NVIDIA’s more accessible approach. Negotiations and technical talks between Bucchianeri and AMD representatives are reportedly underway, but no timeline or promises have been made for future AMD support.
This NVIDIA-first approach immediately shapes the addressable market for Oasis. Many VR enthusiasts continue to favor NVIDIA hardware for its performance and software maturity, but the exclusion of AMD means a nontrivial subset of users remains in limbo. For now, the resurrection of MR headset support, remarkable as it is, still has boundaries.
Building Trust: Verifying Technical Progress
While Oasis’s source code remains closed, Bucchianeri’s track record—and the detailed changelogs and technical progress he posts—invite confidence in the community. Several independent VR and tech reporting outlets, including Windows Report and UploadVR, have reviewed the driver’s development and its early test results, confirming that legacy headsets like the HP Reverb G2 successfully connect and operate within SteamVR when Oasis is used on supported hardware.Further, Bucchianeri’s collaboration with other open-source tool builders and his willingness to seek feedback from testers strengthen the notion that Oasis isn’t a fleeting or risky passion project. Rigorous reverse engineering, persistent iteration, and an ethos of careful legality distinguish this effort from the many abandoned or dubious MR runtime wrappers circulating in hobbyist forums.
Why Microsoft’s Silence Hurts—and What It Means for the XR Industry
Microsoft’s quiet deprecation of Windows MR stands in stark contrast to the company’s once-lofty ambitions in spatial computing. Mixed Reality Portal was trumpeted as a cornerstone of the “future of work,” a bet on immersive education, training, and entertainment. By 2021, however, priorities had shifted, with Microsoft betting heavily on HoloLens, industrial and enterprise contracts, and ultimately divesting from consumer VR engagement.The end of MR runtime support is a symbolic blow as much as a utilitarian one. It signals to both end users and partner hardware makers that investing in proprietary VR ecosystems may be risky—a lesson echoed in the premature retirements of Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, and others. The effect is a chilling one, possibly hindering mainstream VR adoption at precisely the moment when the wider XR industry seeks to recapture lost momentum.
The Unintended Upside: A Boon for the Used Hardware Market
Ironically, the very obsolescence caused by Microsoft’s decision could foster a new wave of accessibility. With so many MR headsets offloaded to the secondhand market, affordable devices abound. Should Oasis reach a stable and widely compatible release, it could make PC VR accessible to anyone with a modest budget and a compatible (NVIDIA) GPU.This outcome would mirror other historical moments where community innovation prolonged the life—and relevance—of “dead” hardware. From custom firmware for classic smartphones to homebrew OS projects for abandoned laptops, the story of Oasis fits a well-established pattern in the technology world: where companies see end-of-life, communities see a new lease on life.
Risks, Uncertainties, and the Road Ahead
There are, of course, caveats that temper the excitement:- Closed Source Risks: While keeping Oasis closed curtails IP exposure, it also prevents independent review of its security, compliance, and technical robustness. Users must rely on Bucchianeri’s reputation and transparency rather than the peer-scrutiny benefit of open-source software.
- Driver Maintenance: As Windows continues to evolve, so too must Oasis. The burden rests squarely on Bucchianeri (and any contributors he recruits) to keep the project current, fix bugs, and expand hardware support—including, hopefully, for AMD GPUs down the line.
- Microsoft’s Response: While unlikely, it is not impossible for Microsoft to block or complicate unsupported third-party drivers in future Windows releases. Such a move could render Oasis—like its MR Portal predecessor—nonfunctional, looping users back to square one.
- End User Expectations: Even if Oasis launches smoothly, performance and compatibility may vary across devices and game titles. Early adopters must be prepared for occasional bugs, limited support, and a certain DIY mentality.
Critical Analysis: Strengths and Strategic Impact
Despite these risks, the Oasis project shines as a vital remedy to a sharp gap left by Microsoft. Chief among its strengths:- Reanimation of Inexpensive Hardware: It transforms piles of “e-waste” into fully functional, modern VR headsets, democratizing access to PC VR.
- Technical Ingenuity: As a native SteamVR driver, Oasis demonstrates meticulous low-level engineering—a testament to Bucchianeri’s expertise and the resilience of the hobbyist software scene.
- Community Alignment: The project is being built with and for end-users, not for commercial exploitation. This grassroots credibility should help Oasis find willing testers and contributors.
- Potential Model for Future Revivals: Oasis could set a template for reviving abandoned hardware across the technology spectrum, empowering users to reclaim value and utility lost to corporate cost-cutting.
Looking Forward: What to Watch
Bucchianeri aims to release the Oasis driver for free sometime this fall, pending continued progress and, ideally, broader GPU support. If those plans materialize, the fall and winter could see a sudden resurgence in MR headset usage, renewed SteamVR engagement, and a flood of new (or returning) users entering the PC XR ecosystem on the cheap.Consumers eager to use their dust-collecting Reverb G2 or Samsung Odyssey should keep a close eye on Bucchianeri’s project updates via GitHub, Reddit, and VR community forums. Early beta testing, user-generated troubleshooting, and perhaps even the formation of a mini-ecosystem around Oasis seem well within reach.
Longer-term success hinges on continued developer attention and community feedback. The tech world’s collective memory is filled with well-intentioned revivals that faltered due to a lack of critical mass, documentation gaps, or insurmountable technical blockers. Should Oasis avoid these pitfalls, it could emerge as the blueprint for VR hardware longevity in a constantly shifting landscape.
Conclusion: A Microcosm of the XR Struggle
Oasis is more than a technical workaround—it’s a powerful commentary on the shifting relationship between hardware makers, software publishers, and passionate user communities. As major companies recalculate their bets in the extended reality (XR) arms race, the burden of device longevity and interoperability will increasingly fall on open standards, independent developers, and motivated end users.For Windows MR headset owners, the road back to SteamVR may soon be open, led by a solo developer with a distinguished past and a pragmatic, collaborative outlook. In a year marked by sudden endings for many beloved hardware lines, Oasis stands as both a solution and a symbol: proof that, in the hands of the committed few, “unsupported” does not mean forgotten.
Source: Windows Report Windows MR headsets might work again soon—thanks to one Microsoft developer
