Microsoft has launched MOVE Studio, an application created exclusively for Windows Mixed Reality head-mounted displays (HMDs) with the intention of becoming the inaugural experience for virtual reality (VR) newcomers. MOVE Studio grants users control of the appearance, sound and visual effects of the experience, entirely through hand and hand movement.

Microsoft commissioned MAP Design Lab to create VR experience as one of four featured demos showcasing the Windows Mixed Reality HMDs for new users who aren’t gamers and may not even be aware of the technology’s capabilities. By using the HMD and motion controllers, the player’s own movement paints, dances and bounces professional Helios Dance Theater dancers and basketball players within specially-crafted artistic environments. All changes within the experience are determined by user movement.

According to its creator Melissa Painter, Founder/Creative Director at MAP Design Lab, the dance and basketball-based VR experience was commissioned to draw in a greater audience of women, as well as users who may not be gaming aficionados. Pushing forward to create a future computing space that fosters creativity for its users, rather than a purely entertainment space, the experience broadens the inherent VR audience while redefining how users think about and use computers.

MOVE Studio boasts two modes: “Play” and “Create.” Within “Play,” everything from sound design to visual effects are transformed based on the user’s changing position. In “Create,” the user enters a full-scope creators’ sandbox for adults, where pairs of dancers or dribbling basketball players can be coloured and scaled, then dropped into environments each with their own gravitational and medium characteristics. Both modes allow the user to shape his or her environment with no restrictions, empowering them to freely explore their digital space.

MOVE Studio is now available for download worldwide via the Microsoft App Store, and in retail demos in stores in Microsoft and partner stores in United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, China, Japan, Australia. It is one of a number of free Windows Mixed Reality experiences, including 343 Industries’ Halo: Recruit.

A trailer for MOVE Studio follows below and you can find out more about Microsoft’s platform in VRFocus’ guide to Windows Mixed Reality.