Hey, remember the Apple Vision Pro? For a while there, everyone was talking about Apples $3,499 headset being the future of productivity. Youd strap a headset to your face and work on large monitors floating in a mixed reality world.Well, that vision has now officially arrived on Windows PCs, and its more than 10 times cheaper. For a mere $299, you can pair a Meta quest headset with a Windows 11 PC and work in a mixed-reality world with floating monitors around you.So lets set aside the pricey Apple headsets and skip the wait for Googles latest attempt at VR. Heres what its like to use the new Windows Mixed Reality with an inexpensive Meta headset for productivity. After all: With Microsofts HoloLens discontinued, this is the closest thing were going to get.Want to stay up to date on the latest and greatest PC features? Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter. Plus, get free Windows Field Guide downloads as a special welcome bonus!What you need for Windows Mixed Reality LinkTo try this out, youll need a Meta Quest 3 or Quest 3S headset, the companys latest VR headsets. Again, theyre a lot cheaper than an Apple Vision Pro and probably a lot cheaper than that upcoming Project Moohan headset that will run Googles new Android XR, too! I tested this out with a Meta Quest 3 headset. (Unfortunately, it doesnt work with previous-generation Quest 2 headsets.)Youll also need a PC running Windows 11. You dont need the absolute latest hardware, but you do need something at least somewhat recent. I used Microsofts latest Surface Laptop. (You can find a complete list of requirements on Microsofts website.)If you have the hardware and if you already have a recent Meta Quest headset lying around youre good to go, and you can set this up very quickly.How to link your Windows PC and Meta Quest headsetHere at the start of 2025, this feature is still a little experimental. That means youll have to go out of your way to activate it. Meta offers detailed instructions, but these quick steps should be all youll need to get going:On your Windows 11 PC, install the Microsofts Mixed Reality Link app from the Microsoft Store.On your Meta Quest headset, open the Settings app, select Advanced, and activate the Pair to PC with Mixed Reality Link setting.Then, while wearing the headset and using passthrough (Mixed Reality) mode, you can just look at a Windows 11 PC, and youll see a floating Pair button you can click to pair your headset with your PC.The first time you pair, youll be asked to press Windows+Y. Your PC will show a QR code, and your headset will scan it and then, the two devices will be linked. From that point forward, you can just look at the PC while wearing the headset and select Pair.The pairing process is fast and quick, and itll only get easier when this feature is no longer experimental.Chris Hoffman, IDGA Windows desktop, floating in front of your faceWhile paired, youll see your PCs desktop pop up as a floating window in passthrough mode (just like other apps in the Meta Quests Horizon OS). You can type on your computers keyboard normally and use its mouse to control Windows and your applications.It works better than you might expect! There isnt much latency despite the wireless connection, its a very responsive interface that feels great to use.You can use theater mode to expand the desktop to take up more of your vision, if you like. That lets you place the desktop somewhere you want it in space, walk away, then walk back to it.Productivity aside, this has the potential for all sorts of engaging entertainment use for mid-work-day breaktimes or moments of travel. If you enjoy the thought of watching a movie on a big virtual screen while wearing a headset, you can definitely do that with this setup. I pulled up YouTube, switched to full-screen mode, and toggled theater mode for the whole experience. It was more than a little impressive to see the entire video filling my field of vision. Similarly, you could play PC games while wearing the headset or, of course, watch official work-related demo videos and presentations. Its a very different experience from using a small laptop display.The only real downside is having to wear a headset the entire time youre watching.You can resize the floating desktop window and reposition it around you in Mixed Reality.Chris Hoffman, IDGHow does Mixed Reality Link work for productivity?So the $1 million question: Does Microsofts Mixed Reality Link and a Meta Quest headset really make you more productive?The biggest benefit is the ability to add extra virtual displays beyond what youd have in the physical world. I used my Surface Laptop, which didnt have any external monitors connected. With a few presses of buttons on the Meta Quests controllers, I was able to add two extra displays that floated off to the sides of my main display, giving myself some extra virtual space for working. Im able to enjoy a spacious three-display setup in the Mixed Reality interface, although I just have the one small physical screen.Ill be honest, though: Ive never fully understood why I would want to do my productivity-oriented work with a headset strapped to my head. That was my big concern about Apples Vision Pro, and its my big challenge here. I do think Metas Quest headset is neat for VR games and workout apps. But were not talking about using VR with a sense of presence here were talking about using a two-dimensional Windows desktop interface floating in space.The ability to have multiple virtual displays and make them as big as you want is the most interesting productivity feature here.Chris Hoffman, IDGThats one of the most significant downsides to this setup that were talking about a two-dimensional desktop. You wont be using an immersive VR application like Google Earth VR over Windows Mixed Reality link. Youll just get access to the same standard two-dimensional applications you use on your Windows desktop. (There are other solutions for using PC VR apps with a Quest headset, but Mixed Reality Link doesnt simplify the process.)Compared to other mixed-reality headset platforms, the fact that youre just dealing with your PCs desktop is also an advantage. Theres no need to set up your productivity workflow on a new device youre just getting access to the desktop interface you already use. So, if you do want this sort of interface for productivity or PC desktop use in general, good news: Its here, and you can get it today for a few hundred bucks!Personally, Ive been writing this entire article with Microsoft Word floating in front of my face while wearing the headset. And, while it worked really well, Im looking forward to removing the headset and giving my face a break.Of course, this is just version one of this experience. In the future, we might eventually see incredibly lightweight and comfortable smart glasses that are easier to wear for extended periods of time. Perhaps thats the future of computing a floating Windows desktop on our smart glasses.Or, perhaps not. But, with Apple and Google making big bets on mixed-reality headset experience, its nice to know that theres a version of that spatial computing experience already available for us Windows PC users, too.Lets stay in touch! Sign up for my free Windows Intelligence newsletter today. Youll get three new things to try every Friday and free in-depth Windows Field Guides as a special welcome gift.