Microsoft's recent layoffs drastically affected its AR, VR, and Mixed Reality teams

Last week, Microsoft made the announcement that it was cutting thousands of jobs, leaving lots of people without a future at the massive technology company, and affecting pretty much every aspect of the organisation, be it Xbox and Xbox Games Studios, or even some of its more prototype tech divisions.

As has recently been reported on by Windows Centrals' Jez Corden, these layoffs have had a major impact on Microsoft's augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality plans, as entire teams in these areas have been cut.

It's said that the entire team at the recently acquired AltSpaceVR company have been released from Microsoft, meaning this company itself will be shut down as of March and its work on the metaverse and VR will be shut down for good.

To add to this, the HoloLens team is said to have faced major cuts as well, as Microsoft is seemingly starting to put some distance between itself and the project, following lack of success which has supposedly seen the US military reducing its contract with Microsoft over HoloLens.

Considering we're seeing Apple take new stances on the AR, VR, and Mixed Reality space as well, alongside seeing Google and Meta both cutting thousands of jobs as well, you have to wonder what the future holds for these technology types.