During Build 2017 keynote on day 2, Alex Kipman announced (reported earlier) that Windows Mixed Reality dev kits from Acer and HP are now available for pre-order through the Microsoft Store for developers in the US (Acer, HP) and Canada (Acer, HP).
If you are interested in developing for Windows Mixed Reality and have already shown your interest in pre-ordering, you should check your machine in the meantime, before the dev kits start shipping. This is because there is a huge difference between running Windows Mixed Reality apps on Windows 10 PC and developing apps for Windows Mixed Reality when it comes to system requirements.
From the official documentation, here are the minimum system recommendations for app developers for creating immersive applications.
- Desktop: Intel Desktop Core i7 (6+ Core) OR AMD Ryzen 7 1700 (8 Core, 16 threads)
GPU
- Desktop: NVIDIA GTX 980/1060, AMD Radeon RX 480 (8GB) equivalent or greater DX12 and WDDM 2.2 capable GPU
- Drivers: Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) 2.2
- Thermal Design Power: 15W or greater
Display
- Headset connectors: 1x available graphics display port for headset (HDMI 1.4 or DisplayPort 1.2 for 60Hz headsets, HDMI 2.0 or DisplayPort 1.2 for 90Hz headsets)
- Resolution: SVGA (800×600) or greater
- Bit depth: 32 bits of color per pixel
Memory: 16 GB of RAM or greater
Storage: >10 GB additional free space
Connectivity
- 1x available USB port for headset (USB 3.0 Type-A). USB must supply a minimum of 900mA.
- Bluetooth 4.0 (for accessory connectivity)
If your workstation meets the minimum specs, you at ready to start building games and enterprise apps for the rapidly expanding mixed reality market.
In the meantime,
- Visit the Windows Dev Center to view documentation, download tools and join the emerging community of Windows Mixed Reality developers.
- Download Unity 3D, the most widely-used developer platform for creating immersive applications.
- And may be, download the FREE Visual Studio 2017 Community edition to package and deploy your immersive apps to the Windows Store.
