Microsoft is set to update its flagship operating system to enable the latest generation of Windows 10 hardware devices and software to tap augmented and virtual reality, among a range of new features, executives said on Friday. The major software upgrade, its fourth update, will be offered starting October 17 to existing customers of Windows 10 running on roughly 550 million devices, the company said. Microsoft also announced plans by a range of computer makers to introduce new hardware for businesses, consumers and video gamers designed to take advantage of so-called “mixed reality” features in the October software release.
The software giant, which has largely remade itself into a supplier of cloud services delivered via the internet, has moved to a roughly six-month release cycle for feature updates of Windows from its once typical three-year release cycle for disk-based versions of its operating system software.
