Microsoft (MSFT) has a plan to save VR — low-cost headsets and slick new controllers. It’s a heck of a game plan, and if it works it could put to bed any fears that the seemingly floundering virtual reality craze will fall to the wayside.

I got to play with a Windows Mixed Reality headset and the new controllers, and despite a few hiccups due to the fact that I was using pre-release software, the experience was surprisingly on par with what more expensive headsets offer.

VR at a lower price

Microsoft’s biggest selling point for its Windows Mixed Reality headsets is how inexpensive they will be compared to competing headsets like Facebook’s (FB) Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. The Rift costs $499, though it’s on sale for $399 for a limited time, while the Vive costs $599. Microsoft says headsets using its Windows Mixed Reality platform, on the other hand, will start at $399.

It’s important to note that both Oculus and HTC have significantly lowered the prices of their respective headsets since they debuted. The Oculus Rift originally cost $599 with an extra $280 for a pair of wireless motion controllers and a third camera for room-scale VR. The Vive, meanwhile, cost $800.

Sony’s PlayStation VR, on the other hand, costs $399, but you need to spend an extra $60 for a required camera and $100 for a pair of wireless controllers.

Adding to the cost reduction is the fact that Microsoft’s devices will work on a slew of laptops and PCs, not just high-end systems like the Rift and Vive. During my brief time with an Acer Windows Mixed Reality headset, a Microsoft rep let me play while connected to a high-powered laptop with a dedicated graphics chip, then switched the same headset over to a laptop with a less powerful integrated chip.

You’ll still be limited in terms of the games you can play with your headset, of course. A PC with integrated graphics won’t exactly be able to play the latest and greatest titles, but you’ll still get at least some functionality out of it.

Set up is easier

I’ve used the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PSVR in my apartment and after playing with them for a few days promptly took them apart and put them away until I found a new game to play. The reason? They’re too cumbersome.

With the wires connecting the headset, the wires connecting the cameras and the power cables, your head ends up looking like Predator’s. Microsoft is aiming to fix that by cutting down on the wires required for its headsets, so you’ll be able to quickly set-up and take apart a Windows Mixed Reality kit faster than its competitors.

I found the Acer headset I wore extremely lightweight, though it did begin to fog up a bit toward the end of my roughly 30-minute demo just as competing headsets have. Microsoft’s controllers were largely comfortable and easy to handle, though the positioning of the Windows button, which takes you out of games, was a bear to locate at times.