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Microsoft (MSFT), Meta to Bring Teams, Office, Windows to VR

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Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) is bringing some of its most popular remote-working software to the metaverse. During the recent Meta Connect 2022 event, it announced that it is entering a new productivity-focused VR and AR partnership with Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) .

As part of the collaboration, Microsoft Teams will integrate with Meta’s Quest devices. The company will also provide a way to stream Windows apps to Meta’s Quest Pro VR headsets. Microsoft Teams will also be cross-compatible with Meta’s VR space for business meetings called Horizon Workrooms.

Microsoft’s streaming game service, Xbox Cloud Gaming, will arrive on Quest devices sometime in the coming months. Xbox Cloud Gaming, on the Quest, will stream games to a 2D VR screen, supporting existing Xbox controllers.

Familiar Microsoft 365 productivity applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and SharePoint will also be made available within Meta’s VR. In the future, Windows 365 will also be available on Meta Quest devices, with the ability to stream a Windows Cloud PC, including personalized apps, content and settings.

Microsoft’s enterprise-level mobile device and identity management applications will be compatible with Meta’s Quest and Quest Pro headsets, allowing companies to manage and secure VR headsets in their corporate networks just as they would computers or phones.

Meta is betting its Quest Pro headset, packed with new features, to tempt users into a virtual workday. The company claims that the new equipment is more comfortable, has better performance and improved clarity with higher resolution over its existing headset.

Microsoft Solidifies Position in the Global Metaverse Space

Microsoft aims to become the go-to-work software provider in the global metaverse market, which is expected to grow from $61.8 billion in 2022 to reach $426.9 billion by 2027, at a compound annual growth rate of 47.2% during the forecast period, per a Marketandmarkets report.

This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company’s Mesh for Microsoft Teams can be regarded as a gateway to the metaverse and used in a standard laptop or smartphone. The first step most users of Mesh for Teams will take is join a standard Teams meeting as a customized avatar of themselves instead of a static picture or video. Organizations can also build immersive spaces – metaverses – within Teams. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Meta also said that it will be spending over $10 billion in the next 10 years on further building the metaverse. The company will launch a digital clothing store called Meta Avatars Store, which will allow users to dress their avatars in the metaverse.

Microsoft is set to acquire Activision Blizzard in an all-cash deal for $68.7 billion to competitively enter the world of gaming in the metaverse. Microsoft’s strategic plan to buy Activision has helped it become the third-largest gaming company in the world and provided it with the expertise to claim its stake in the multimillion-dollar metaverse market.

Furthermore, Microsoft’s Xbox gaming system can be used to provide users access to the metaverse.

NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) is yet another company whose growth will be propelled by the metaverse. The company’s strong lineup of advanced graphics cards has made it a favorite graphics card provider and is expected to help the company enter the gaming world in the metaverse.

NVIDIA is seeking to turn its leading position in supplying the computing hardware for the metaverse into a set of software tools for creating and selling content within virtual worlds.


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