Microsoft Xbox One VR Headset Release Date, Design & Features: Oculus Rift & Sony Project Morpheus Rival to Launch at E3 2015? [Rumors]

Microsoft could be launching its very first virtual reality head gear at E3 2015, according to a recent note from Patently Apple. The outlet took note of one Taiwanese supply chain rumor site, which claimed that the company is thinking of mass-producing the said wearable -- even providing a number of gaming patents. If the allegations hold truth, 2015 could be a very interesting year for Microsoft as it potentially rivals the earlier-buzzed Oculus Rift and Project Morpheus (Sony).

E3 happens June next year, said Tom's Hardware. Reportedly, Microsoft's VR device could retail sometime in the second half of 2015.

The features of Microsoft's VR headset "closely resemble" those in Sony's Project Morpheus, wrote SlashGear. Naturally, as the latter would particularly work for the PS4, we can expect Microsoft's version to concentrate on the Xbox One.

Meanwhile, KitGuru noted that the development of Microsoft's VR headset wasn't assigned to the Xbox team -- instead, the group responsible for mobile products were chosen to handle the job. The outlet predicted that the company could be envisioning a device not only compatible with the Xbox One, but also with systems running Windows 10. Alternatively, the non-assignment of the VR project to the Xbox team might have resulted from internal reshuffling of developers.

The Oculus Rift debuts in 2015, as reported by Patently Apple. The source noted that this could have prompted Microsoft to speed things up -- otherwise, the battle may be lost even before it materializes. The "Rift" makes use of ultra-low latency 360° head tracking, stereoscopic 3D view and 100° field of view.

On the other hand, Sony has officially announced its Project Morpheus system back in March. SCE Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida spoke of the product, "Project Morpheus is the latest example of innovation from SCE, and we're looking forward to its continued development and the games that will be created as development kits get into the hands of content creators."

With regards to Microsoft's layouts, Tom's Hardware cited the company's August 2013 patent published by the USPTO. Accordingly, the patent described "a number" of head-mounted display gears, which included outward-facing sensors, OLED displays, voice interaction, eye-tracking and facial recognition technology. These sensors are said to be capable of detecting the user's environment, locating other nearby users and tracking hand gestures.

The said patent also featured three accelerometers and three gyroscopes, which in essence, track the user's head movements.

In the meantime, watch an overview video of the Oculus Rift (via Oculus) below.