Microsoft is partnering with a variety of manufacturers to release a range of VR headsets, starting at $299 (£244).

The headsets will be standalone, meaning they can operate without being tethered to a PC or mobile device (though, somewhat confusingly, the first official image shows a cable connecting the headsets to a laptop). They will feature six degrees of freedom sensors inside and out, to enable head motion control without requiring any external sensors.

No name or further specifications for the headsets was provided during the announcement, but Microsoft did identify its manufacturing partners: Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and Lenovo.

The headsets are the companys next step into the space, building on HoloLens, its mixed reality platform. In fact, the software used to demo the new headsets was HoloTour, an app originally developed for HoloLens which virtually transports users to locations around the world.

The plans were announced during a Microsoft event in New York, where it also unveiled the Creators Update for Windows 10, coming early next year – which is seemingly when we can expect to see the first headsets – and the Surface Studio, the first desktop PC produced by the company itself.