Microsoft files mysterious trademark for Direct Reality ahead of E3

A few days before the influential Electronic Entertainment Expo video game tradeshow in Los Angeles, Microsoft may have tipped its hand on future virtual and augmented reality plans.

Microsoft has filed a trademark for Direct Reality, according to OnMsft (an independent news site that reports on the tech giant). The filing makes note of video game software, online games, and holographic applications. The name Direct Reality sounds like a mashup of DirectX, the Microsoft API (application programming interface), and virtual/augmented reality. Direct Reality could be a new API designed for creating AR/VR programs. Tech adviser Digi-Capital projects that the VR/AR market will reach $108 billion by 2021.