There was a time, believe it or not, when Microsoft was all-in on virtual and mixed reality. Not quite all-in like it is currently with AI, but enough to have created an ecosystem of apps for Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) headsets and hardware.
Since officially boxing up the WMR project and stuffing it into a dark attic in 2023, related software has been hanging around, especially on Windows 10. Paint 3D, an app envisioned to replace classic Windows Paint in the age of Mixed Reality, was deprecated in 2024.
3D Viewer, which is installed by default on Windows 10 but not on Windows 11, will no longer be available for download from the Microsoft Store as of July 1, 2026. If you have 3D Viewer installed on your PC, it won’t suddenly stop working on the cutoff date, but it won’t be available any longer via official channels, and it will no longer receive updates.
The deprecated app wasn’t just useful for Mixed Reality purposes. Users could employ 3D Viewer to inspect and render 3D models without relying on more demanding software, useful when 3D printing or animating.
Microsoft is recommending the Babylon.js Sandbox as an alternative for viewing 3D content, but it’s certainly not your only option. F3D seems to be a popular free and open-source option, as is MeshLab.
Speaking of Microsoft’s AI push, Copilot 3D might be what some of you are looking for as a replacement. It allows you to create 3D models with relative ease, and the model can be used for 3D printing, VR, games, and animation.
My colleague Sean Endicott gave Copilot 3D a try in 2025 and came away genuinely surprised at its ease of use. The drawback is that it’s a part of the Copilot Labs initiative, which means it’s still fairly experimental and limited in its scope.
Are you sad to see 3D Viewer hit the deprecated list? Did you or do you still make use of the app? Let me know in the comments section below!
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