Today at Microsoft Dev Days, ahead of Build next week, Microsoft revealed that a “Development Edition” of the HoloLens 2 mixed reality headset is coming. Along with the Development Edition buyers will receive $500 in free Azure credits and a three month trial for both Unity Pro and the PiXYZ Plugin for transferring CAD files.
According to Unity’s VP of Industrial, Tim McDonough, around 90% of all HoloLens applications thus far are created in Unity, so this combination was a natural fit.
“The intention is to make it easy for people that have not used a HoloLens before to get up and running and be successful right away,” McDonough says. “Once people figure out how to use the HoloLens and Unity together with this free trial, we’re confident they’ll keep building…Pairing HoloLens 2 with Unity’s real-time 3D platform enables industrial businesses to create immersive, interactive experiences that accelerate business and reduce costs. The addition of Unity Pro and the PiXYZ Plugin makes it easy to import 3D design data in minutes rather than hours.”
When the HoloLens 2 was first revealed earlier this year they debuted some impressive new technologies. You can see the way it works in this video from the Spain press conference:
Then at Mobile World Congress, Jamie from UploadVR got the chance to go hands-on with the device and stated that it felt like one of the first AR headsets he had ever tried that he could actually see himself using. That alone is a pretty tough bar to clear in the current climate.
The HoloLens 2 Development Edition releases later this year (alongside other HoloLens 2 editions) starting at $3,500 per device or as low as $99 per month to registered members of Microsoft’s Mixed Reality Developer Program. Registration for that program is free.
Let us know what you think down in the comments below!
