A new error message displayed on an Xbox console may indicate that a VR headset may be coming to the console. The message came as a result of a reviewer plugging in the new Xbox Wireless Headset and, for reasons not known, the console detected it as a VR headset and issued a never-before-seen error message.
The leak comes following years and years of "will they, won't they" back and forth with Microsoft and the VR market. Despite Sony paving the way for console-based VR with PlayStation VR and Valve revolutionizing the medium with games like Half-Life: Alyx on PC, there hasn't been nearly enough to persuade Xbox of this new way of gaming. It seems things could be changing, however, thanks to this new leak which is beginning to help give weight to other previous rumors and leaks. Microsoft was going to include VR support for Xbox One X, but cut support somewhere along the way. Now, Series X may fill that void.
IGN Italy's Giovanni Marrelli allegedly discovered the strange leak while testing out the new Xbox Wireless Headset for a review. The reviewer shared an image of a curious error message they received, which reads “The VR headset needs to be updated," in Italian. That could be chalked up to a Freudian slip on a Microsoft developer's part, but there's even a button to exit the menu that reads, "Update VR headset." Screen Rant has reached out to Xbox for clarification on the error message and its possible implications.
Update: When reached out to for comment, an Xbox representative stated: “The copy in this error message is inaccurate due to a localization bug. VR for console is not a focus for us at this time.” The rest of the original story continues below:
If real, what the reviewer has documented seems to signal that VR is coming to Xbox, and it may just be a matter of time until Microsoft lifts the veil on an Xbox VR headset. Rather recently, there was even more hints of an Xbox Series X VR headset. Microsoft Flight Simulator included code similarly indicating that VR headset support is coming to Xbox Series X/S. The leak used the Series X's codename, Scarlett, making some wonder if this was merely for internal testing, but it now seems more likely VR could come to the consoles sooner rather than later.
Given this latest hint of Xbox VR is so public, it's possible that Microsoft could give details on this headset sometime in 2021. A summer Xbox event is expected later this year, but it's unclear whether or not Microsoft would want to focus on another peripheral, as the Xbox Wireless Headset is the only real significant hardware launch on the calendar for 2021. Releasing a VR headset alongside the console version of Microsoft Flight Simulator in Summer 2021 would also likely be a good move, but VR support could easily be added in a post-launch update if the rumored headset isn't ready in time.
Source: IGN Italy