On January 15th Microsoft will release the new Chromium powered Microsoft Edge. If you install the release version of the new browser it replaces the old version, which has an impact for Windows Mixed Reality.

The main change is that the new browser is a Win32 desktop app so you will need the Windows 10 1903 update if you want to use Edge in WMR. The update added support for desktop apps in Windows Mixed Reality so is essential if you want to use the browser in immersive mode. The other change is that WebVR is no longer supported and instead WebXR the new standard is supported.

Microsoft say for the best experience you should wait for the updates included in the January 2020 Update to Windows 10 which will be available later this month. The issues that will be fixed in the update includes:

  • Launching any Win32 app, including the new Microsoft Edge, causes the headset display to briefly freeze.
  • The Microsoft Edge tile disappears from the Windows Mixed Reality Start menu (you can find it in the “Classic apps” folder).
  • Windows from the previous Microsoft Edge are still placed around the mixed reality home, but cannot be used. Attempting to activate those windows launches Edge inside of the Desktop app.
  • Selecting a hyperlink in the mixed reality home launches a web browser on the desktop instead of the mixed reality home.
  • The WebVR Showcase app is present in the mixed reality home, despite WebVR no longer being supported.
  • General improvements to keyboard launch and visuals.

There are also the follow issues that won’t be fixed in the January Update:

  • Websites open in Windows Mixed Reality will be lost when Mixed Reality Portal closes, though the Microsoft Edge windows will remain where they were placed in the mixed reality home.
  • Audio from Microsoft Edge windows is not spatialized.
  • Opening a 360 video from YouTube in Windows Mixed Reality may result in the video being distorted in the headset. Refreshing the YouTube video’s page and relaunching the 360 video should fix the issue.
  • During Windows Mixed Reality sessions, virtual monitors will appear as generic physical monitors in Settings > System > Display.

Via

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