Earlier this month we talked about Microsoft’s vision for mixed reality and demonstrated Windows Mixed Reality experiences available this holiday. Our backdrop that day was the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco, a community hub for creators and developers to come together, learn, collaborate, and help fuel the era of mixed reality.

I am excited to announce the official launch of the Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco and the opening of Mixed Reality Capture Studios and the San Francisco Mixed Reality Academy.

Create pioneering mixed reality experiences

We are at the threshold of the next revolution in computing. Microsoft is passionately committed to mixed reality. The possibilities are limitless, and the future will unfold with the energy, ingenuity, and passion of the community. Together, we are on a once in a lifetime journey.

To help fuel this opportunity, we are expanding our investment in technologies that enable the broader ecosystem to create for mixed reality worldwide. Our goal is to reach and support partners, creative agencies, studios, application developers, and others to help them create the most immersive mixed reality content possible.

The Microsoft Reactor in San Francisco, located at 680 Folsom in SOMA, will serve as the flagship location for two very important initiatives – Mixed Reality Capture Studio and our Mixed Reality Academy. We want to help MR experts become even more expert. We want to bring together the vibrant and unique perspective of our Bay Area developers. We want to help creators invent cutting-edge experiences that dazzle us in imaginative new ways.

Mixed Reality Capture Studios open to empower new forms of creativity

At our Mixed Reality Capture Studio in Redmond, we’ve captured thousands of performances over the past seven years, from all types of creators — musicians, athletes, actors, educators, dancers, and even animals. A few notable ones include Buzz Aldrin, George Takei, Reggie Watts, and Max Frost.

Today, we announced the opening of our Mixed Reality Capture Studio in San Francisco. These studios enable customers to create holograms that can be used for mixed reality experiences from 2D screens to fully immersive VR. Our goal is to make high-quality holographic captures accessible for mixed reality creators everywhere.

In addition, we’re expanding our studios globally with our first licensed studio opening in London with our partners Hammerhead and Digital Catapult, forming Dimension. We expect to license studios in other major markets worldwide. More details about the Mixed Reality Capture Studios can be found here.

San Francisco Mixed Reality Academy offers developers the tools they need to create in mixed reality

Since opening the Mixed Reality Academy in Redmond two years ago, we have seen the transformational impact a mixed reality learning environment can have. We are now bringing the popular courses we offer in Redmond to San Francisco based mixed reality developers.

The San Francisco Mixed Reality Academy will offer a range of on-site courses and workshops, including:

Discovery Program : Where you begin your journey. Introduction to building mixed reality experiences, and how to further engage with the Mixed Reality Academy.

: Where you begin your journey. Introduction to building mixed reality experiences, and how to further engage with the Mixed Reality Academy. Expert Program: A multi-week course that kick-starts the ability for partners to join our Mixed Reality Partner Program (MRPP). Find out more about the MRPP here.

A multi-week course that kick-starts the ability for partners to join our Mixed Reality Partner Program (MRPP). Find out more about the MRPP Workshops: Tailored courses where developers can learn and get expert advice from our team on topics such as adding spectator view to their app, improving performance, adding shared experience, or supporting the latest hardware.

Tailored courses where developers can learn and get expert advice from our team on topics such as adding spectator view to their app, improving performance, adding shared experience, or supporting the latest hardware. Hackathons: We look forward to offering a robust calendar of hacking and porting events.

You can learn more about Mixed Reality Academy offerings here.

This truly is an exciting time for us and everyone who is on the mixed reality journey with us. We look forward to sharing more and seeing what everyone creates in the months ahead.

Liz