In the midst of the deafening buzz for the Oculus Rift, this year's GDC is loaded with companies hinting at their own virtual reality or augmented reality solutions. Microsoft is not among them, but the company may be working on its own 3D head-mounted display internally, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The Journal cites "people familiar with the project" and "people who have been privy to discussions" in discussing Microsoft's VR headset plans, and it said at least one version of the device is focused on augmented reality integration with real-world images. That's not that surprising given the Microsoft AR glasses patent that surfaced last August; indeed, the Journal's sources mention that Microsoft "has filed at least one patent for it so far."

According to the report, Microsoft's head-mounted display plans are "concurrent" with "Project Fortaleza," the codename for the "breakthrough heads-up, hands-free" device that was also referred to as "Kinect glasses" in Microsoft documents leaked in 2012. The roadmap in those documents suggested a 2014 to 2015 launch for eyewear that offered "seamless integration of the digital world with the physical world" and "real-time information on people, places, and objects," perhaps integrated with head tracking and images provided by the Xbox One and Kinect.

Sony has long been rumored to be working on its own VR headset and is widely expected to reveal more detailed plans at a GDC panel this evening (though the company is officially remaining silent on any plans). Both Sony and Microsoft would be wise to examine their own proprietary solutions for head-mounted VR since Oculus has gone on record saying that the new consoles are "too limited" for its Rift headset.