Microsoft MRTK3 is now a separate organization in GitHub

2023年8月24日，微软宣布其开源软件混合现实工具包3（MRTK33) It has been independently separated from Microsoft and has become an independent organization, hosted atGitHubsuperior. To make clear to the developer and partner community itsMRTKThe future of the project, the company announced in a blog post.

According to Microsoft, the MRTK3 project was designed from the beginning to be cross-platform and open-source for the benefit of the entire ecosystem, not just Microsoft'sHoloLens 2混合现实头盔。

Robin Thaler, corporate vice president and chief operating officer of Microsoft's Windows + Devices organization, said: "In order to become a true multi-platform toolkit, enabling wider third-party cooperation, MRTK needs to be considered as an independent organization. , beyond Microsoft's jurisdiction."

The company noted that as an independent organization, MRTK is now free from previous limitations, making it easier for developers to introduce additional endpoints and influence feature roadmaps. However, Microsoft reiterated that this transition has not changed its investment in MRTK3. In fact, the company noted that it will see this as an opportunity to increase investment in the program and create a steering committee that includes other key industry players.

A major player that has announced to join the Steering Committee of the MRTK3 organization isMagic Leap，这是多年前与最初的HoloLens项目展开竞争的公司之一。

Like HoloLens, Magic Leap is a big player in augmented reality (AR) devices, Microsoft noted, and Magic Leap developers have been using the MRTK UI framework, input system, and other tools to power their AR Unity apps.

Thaler added, "With Magic Leap joining Microsoft on the MRTK3 Steering Committee, we hope to enrich the current ecosystem and help our developer community create richer, more immersive experiences across different platforms."

Another major industry player that Microsoft has announced will be joining the Steering Committee isQualcomm Technologies，Inc.，该公司曾与微软合作进行过多个增强现实项目，包括为HoloLens 2提供用于System-on-Chip（SoC）平台的Qualcomm Snapdragon 850。

Microsoft said that Qualcomm Technologies provided support for MRTK3 to the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform last year, enabling developers to leverage the MRTK UI framework and input system to build volumetric experiences for Spaces-based augmented reality glasses and virtual reality (VR) headsets. The company also highlighted that two of MRTK's founding architects will return to the project, with Qualcomm Technologies joining the steering committee.

In addition to the major changes to the project, Microsoft also confirmed that MRTK3 is still on track for an official launch in the third quarter of 2023, and developers can expect a launch in the second week of September 2023.

Microsoft says more updates will be shared as it continues to expand the MRTK Steering Committee and collaborate on new open source features and integrations.

For more information on MRTK3, click here.

Image credit: Microsoft