How to Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching in Windows 10


Mixed reality blends real-world and virtual content into hybrid environments where physical and digital objects coexist and interact.

When you put on your headset, input should automatically get toggled to your mixed reality experience via your headset's presence sensor. You will know input is being directed to your headset because a blue bar will appear on your desktop like so:



If input doesn't get toggled automatically, you will need to manually toggle input to your headset. You can do this by typing Win+Y on your keyboard (and the same to toggle input back to the Desktop).

When transitioning between your Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality, you can choose to use the headset presence sensor to switch input and foreground automatically or manually use Win+Y only.

See also: Troubleshooting Windows Mixed Reality - Enthusiast Guide | Microsoft Docs

This tutorial will show you how to choose to use the headset presence sensor or only the Win+Y keyboard shortcut for Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality input switching for your account in Windows 10.

Windows Mixed Reality is deprecated and will be removed in a future release of Windows. This deprecation includes the Mixed Reality Portal app, and Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and Steam VR Beta.



Contents

  • Option One: Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching in Settings
  • Option Two: Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching using a REG file






OPTION ONE

Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching in Settings


1 Open Settings, and click/tap on the Mixed reality icon.

2 Click/tap on Headset display or Startup and desktop (new) on the left side, and select Automatically switch using headset presence sensor (default) or Manually switch using Windows logo key + Y for what you want in the Input Switching drop menu on the right side. (see screenshots below)

Selecting Manually switch using Windows logo key + Y will disable and gray out the Start Mixed Reality Portal when my headset's presence sensor detects that I'm wearing it setting.


3 You can now close Settings if you like.

Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching in Windows 10-mixed_reality_headset_display_input_switching.jpg Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching in Windows 10-mixed_reality_headset_display_input_switching-2.jpg






OPTION TWO

Change Desktop and Windows Mixed Reality Input Switching using a REG file


The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Holographic

IgnoreHMDPresence DWORD

0 = Use Windows Mixed Reality presence sensor
1 = Use Windows logo key + Y


1 Do step 2 (sensor) or step 3 (Win+Y only) below for what you would like to do.


2 To Use Windows Mixed Reality Headset Presence Sensor

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Use_headset_presence_sensor_for_Desktop_and_Mixed_Reality_input_switching.reg

Download


3 To Only Use Windows logo key + Y

This will disable and gray out the Start Mixed Reality Portal when my headset's presence sensor detects that I'm wearing it setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Only_use_Win+Y_for_Desktop_and_Mixed_Reality_input_switching.reg

Download


4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 If you like, you can now delete the downloaded .reg file.


That's it,
Shawn Brink


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