Microsoft might be riding the wave of wearable augmented reality devices. According to TechCrunch‘s anonymous sources, Microsoft recently purchased wearable augmented reality tech from Osterhout Design Group for between $100 million and $150 million.
Joystiq notes an important distinction between augmented reality – think something between Nintendo’s 3DS AR Card Games and Google Glass, in which the tech simulates a modified version of existing reality – and virtual reality, which is the creation of a completely different, virtual world around the user.
The rumors are muddy, so Microsoft’s intent could be to develop either an augmented reality device or a full-fledged VR headset to compete with Sony’s Project Morpheus and Facebook’s Oculus Rift. Actually, there’s nothing to say that Microsoft plans to apply this tech to their gaming division at all. But if TechCrunch’s sources are correct, Microsoft’s probably shooting more for something like Google Glass than Project Morpheus.
Your guess is as good as anyone’s (including mine), so what do you think? Toss around your speculation in the comments.